The Lost Lupin
by MaryRoyale
Summary: The Lupins fear Greyback's revenge will not stop with Remus, but might spread to his little sister Hermione. They make an unorthodox decision to protect their daughter without telling their son. Remus has been looking for his sister ever since. Time travel, AU, EWE, Non-Canon ships, etc. Please see warnings.
1. Lost and Found

_A/N: Completely AU, canon shall be shredded until it begs for mercy, and perhaps a bit more just for fun. YATTF, because for some reason I keep going there. Hermione shall be Remus' younger sister, whose parents tried to hide her because they feared Greyback's wrath spreading to her as well. Their means of concealment was rather unorthodox, and they told their son that his sister was 'gone'. There will be no canon ships here, so don't read this and then get angry because so-and-so didn't wind up with so-and-so. I warned you. _

_**Official Disclaimer: **__As this is fanfic, and I'm not being recompensed in any fashion, I claim this piece is fair use under the Copyright Act, etc. _

_**Warnings**__: AU, Non-canon compliant, EWE, Poking canon with sharp sticks to watch it flinch, time travel, Marauders, slash, het, bisexuality, couples, threesomes, language, overprotective wolfy brother, anything else you might possibly complain that you weren't warned about._

**The Lost Lupin**

"_Hermione, he's watching you again," Ginny whispered to her friend. _

_Hermione glanced up and her gaze was caught by his. He flushed slightly and looked away. Hermione felt another set of eyes on her and turned slightly to see Tonks glaring at her. That had been happening quite a bit lately. She'd catch Remus watching her or she'd catch Tonks glaring at her because Remus was watching her. The problem with the whole thing was that Tonks misunderstood. Hermione could tell that she was jealous—one would have to be incredibly stupid to not have picked up on that, but as near as Hermione could tell Tonks shouldn't be jealous. Remus wasn't looking at her with lust or desire or anything remotely like that. There was confusion in his eyes mixed with a sort of desperate hope and a sad sort of despair. She didn't know what it meant so she tried to ignore it. _

"_Hermione?" Harry called her from the doorway. She turned toward him, and she noticed his slight frown at Tonks. He'd noticed Tonks' glares, and he didn't like them. _

"_Coming," she replied, rising to her feet with a fluid grace. She could feel Remus frowning at her back. Harry grabbed her hand as soon as she got close enough and dragged her up to the room he shared with Ron. _

"_What is up with her?" Harry demanded as he dragged her along. _

"_No idea," Hermione said with a shrug. _

"_Yeah, well, she'd better watch her step," Harry growled in irritation. _

"_Oh, spare me the over-protective big brother routine, Harry," Hermione chided. He grunted and continued down the hall, pushing open his door and pulling Hermione in after him. Ron was sprawled across his bed reading a Quidditch magazine and muttering under his breath. He glanced up when he saw Hermione._

"_Oh, good," he said cheerfully, and stowed his magazine. "So let's talk about the master plan."_

"_Well, we'll have to wait until after Bill and Fleur's wedding, obviously," Hermione said thoughtfully. Both boys shuddered at the wrath of Molly and Fleur if they dared miss the wedding._

"_Right," the boys said in unison. She grinned slightly. She was so attuned to them both she didn't think anybody else understood them the way she did._

Hermione woke, covered in sweat. She'd been having that dream, over and over for weeks now. She couldn't figure out why she was having that dream _now_, but she supposed that it was better than nightmares. The war had ended, and she supposed that some people were pleased that it was all over. Those people could dance in fiendfyre for all she cared. They hadn't lost their friends and family. They weren't left alone with nothing and no one. She stared at the ceiling for a moment and sighed. Then she got up as silently as she could and dressed. She slipped downstairs to the kitchen and almost gave a scream of fear when she realized there was someone else in the kitchen with her. She sighed when she realized who it was.

"You scared me," she accused flatly. Andromeda Tonks snorted and passed her a cup of strong, black tea.

"I found some of Remus' things that I think you should look through," Andromeda said in an odd voice. Hermione turned and frowned at her.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked a little sharper than she'd intended. "Tonks didn't say anything, did she?"

"Nymphadora was a fool," Andromeda said a little sadly. "I glanced through them, but when I realized what they were…well, they're yours to read, dear."

"Mine to read? Remus didn't have anything of mine," Hermione argued, but her voice was uncertain.

Andromeda pointed to a small battered box on the kitchen table. Hermione felt fear grip her as she moved toward the box. She lifted the lid hesitantly and looked into a box filled with papers, pictures, letters bound with faded ribbon, and what appeared to be a very old journal. Her fingers moved of their own accord and she carefully picked up a small frame, cradling it in her hands. Two small children, a boy and a girl, were waving energetically at the photographer. The boy had a firm grasp on the little girl who had bushy hair and a mulish expression. She wriggled helplessly, trying to get free of his hand. She sat down heavily, staring at the picture of the small girl who could have been her twin at four years-old. The rest of the papers outlined Remus Lupin's search for his missing sister—the bushy-haired little girl in the photograph. All his searches ended in dead ends. His parents had evidently feared that Greyback's anger wouldn't be slaked on Remus alone, that he would come after their other child, Remus' younger sister, Hermione. Hermione felt herself go cold at that. She picked up her birth certificate in shaking fingers, staring at it numbly. Hermione Rhea Lupin had been born at St. Mungo's Hospital in 1962, she was two years younger than her older brother. Remus had agreed to join the Order, to go undercover with the werewolf packs, because Dumbledore promised him information about his sister. Hermione's stomach clenched in horror. She knew that Remus' activities during the first wizarding war had caused both James and Sirius to question his loyalty to the Order. That was why they'd chosen Pettigrew instead of Remus. It was her fault. It was all her fault. Hermione started crying and couldn't stop. She felt comforting arms slide around her shoulders and she turned her face into Andromeda's neck and sobbed.

"It's okay, love," Andromeda crooned helplessly and stroked her back soothingly. After what seemed like an eternity, she pulled back and stared at Andromeda's face.

"How can it be okay?" She demanded, her voice cracking. Andromeda smiled at her and stroked her hair gently. It wasn't quite bushy anymore. The Black family had a potion that they added to their shampoo. Unmanageable curls were a common problem for the Black women.

"Because we're going to fix it," Andromeda said with a certain hint of steel in her voice. Hermione blinked. In that moment, Andromeda had looked a bit too much like her sister, Bellatrix.

"And how are we going to do that?" Hermione asked drily. Andromeda smiled and Hermione shivered.

"I know what spell Dumbledore used to help your parents," Andromeda said smugly. "And I know how to send you back."

"You do?" Hermione asked eagerly. Andromeda nodded, then she frowned.

"You'll be going to the time you should have been in, Hermione, there won't be any coming back, you understand that, right? Strictly speaking, Dumbledore should never have done what he did in the first place," Andromeda said slowly. Hermione nodded.

For years, she had felt a strange pull toward Professor Lupin, who insisted that she call him Remus once his year of teaching was over. It was never sexual in nature, it had been different than that, but it had tugged at her insistently. Now she knew why. Now she knew why Remus always looked at her with confusion in his eyes. He felt the pull, but he couldn't figure out why the Hermione who was calling to him was so much younger than he was. His Hermione should have been thirty years old at least. His sister. Her brother, Remus Lupin. She started shaking again and Andromeda poked her in the arm.

"None of that, now," Andromeda said imperiously. Hermione gave a watery chuckle and shook her head.

"How will this work?" Hermione asked in a raspy voice.

"Ah, now that's the difficult bit. Erm, I'm going to send you back to Remus' sixth year. You need to get there before he starts promising to do things for Dumbledore for information about you. That's where everything went pear-shaped the first time around. I remember Siri and James arguing, and I could never believe that Remus Lupin would betray them. Pettigrew maybe, but never Lupin," Andromeda said slowly, outlining her plan.

"But I'm almost nineteen!" Hermione protested. Andromeda winced.

"Well, there is that. I can de-age you to sixteen. It's sort of a dark spell, but we're not going to tell anyone about that bit, are we love? Now, Remus is going to be confused because even then, you should be only fourteen. You'll have to tell him the truth, I think. It will make him angry, which he should be, in my opinion. You'll be here when you come through, and I've written a letter to myself, explaining why we should help you. I've not mentioned anything about Nymphadora, in case you're wondering, so perhaps you ought not to mention that bit. Just in case, you know," Andromeda explained carefully.

"Why not?" Hermione asked in surprise. She would have thought that Andromeda would be far more likely to help a son-in-law than a cousin's friend.

"Hermione, dear, your presence will most likely change a great many things. One of those things may be who Remus marries. Or married. Or will marry? Oh, hell, I hate time travel. Regardless, I want you to listen very carefully to me. You aren't 'changing the timeline'. Dumbledore and your parents did when they removed you from it. Who knows how different things would have been if you'd been allowed to live your life as you were meant to? We'll never know. However, I do NOT want you beating yourself up about what should be happening. There is no set path. Do you understand me, young lady?" Andromeda's voice had become stern and the glint in her eye made Hermione distinctly nervous.

"Yes, ma'am," she whispered. Then she bit her lower lip. "But what about—"

"No!" Andromeda said sharply, holding up her hand.

"None of the things that happened were 'meant to be'! That's a load of bullshit that has been spoon-fed to all of you to support the idea of poor Harry Potter having some fabulous destiny, and look where that got him!" Andromeda was panting now, her cheeks red with anger. Hermione flinched and closed her eyes. Andromeda sighed and stroked her hair again. "I'm sorry, Hermione, I didn't mean to lose my temper."

"No, you're right," Hermione said finally, her eyes snapping open, a fierce look of determination shining in their depths. "So, when do we do this?"

"We can do the de-aging potion today if you want. It will take a little while for you to adjust to the effects," Andromeda said thoughtfully. "Then in a couple of days we can do the rest."

The de-aging potion was fascinating, Hermione thought as she stared at herself in the mirror. As her body turned back the clock, so to speak, she watched scars disappear as though they'd never been there. Watching the word 'mudblood' disappear from her forearm had been odd, almost disconcerting. The scar from Dolohov remained—she'd gotten that at sixteen in the Department of Mysteries. It would be her only link to this life, she thought absently as she traced the evidence of that night. A life that was never supposed to have happened. She stomped down on the anger that flared within her whenever she thought about everything that had been taken from her, and from her brother. The Remus Lupin she had known had been sad, empty, as though part of him were missing. She had assumed that was due to James Potter and Sirius Black's deaths, but perhaps not. It was entirely likely that her disappearance was responsible for all of that.

"Ready, Hermione?" Andromeda asked her two days later. She had nodded, hesitantly. She had her birth certificate and a letter from Andromeda to Andromeda.

"As I'll ever be," she muttered faintly. Andromeda smiled at her.

"There's the spirit, dear," Andromeda said with a smile. Then everything went black.

"Hermione?" A voice was calling her name hesitantly, and she felt someone shake her slightly. She moaned and wished the shaking person would stop.

"Is she all right?" A masculine voice asked worriedly.

"I think so," the first voice, decidedly feminine, replied uncertainly.

"Oooh," Hermione said miserably.

"Oh, she's awake! Hermione, how do you feel?" The feminine voice asked eagerly.

"Like I've come across the wrong end of a blast-ended skrewt," she muttered darkly.

"A what?" The masculine voice asked curiously.

"Never mind, Ted, darling," The feminine voice soothed him.

"Andromeda?" Hermione asked faintly. The feminine voice sounded younger and much more carefree than the Andromeda she remembered.

"Yes! Oh, this is splendid!" Andromeda said cheerfully. Hermione managed to open one eye to glare at the woman who would one day be the closest thing she had to a friend. Or well, never mind. Andromeda was right, this time travel crap was a pain in the ass.

"Apparently we have differing definitions of 'splendid'," Hermione muttered. Andromeda giggled.

"Oh, you even sound like him," Andromeda said cheerfully. Both of Hermione's eyes snapped open at that.

"What do you mean? I sound like who?" Hermione demanded. Andromeda looked uneasy at the harsh note in Hermione's tone.

"Why, your brother, of course," she murmured faintly. She held up a sheaf of papers. "It's all here."

"You've met my brother?" Hermione asked eagerly. Andromeda smiled fondly.

"Once or twice when Siri's dragged him over. Very sweet boy," Andromeda replied.

"What day is it?" Hermione asked urgently. Andromeda and Ted exchanged a look.

"It's July 1st, 1976. Plenty of time to browbeat Dumbledore into accepting you at Hogwarts," Andromeda said with a wicked smile that made her look a bit like Bellatrix. "I'm actually looking forward to it."

"Ah," Hermione said faintly.

"Not today of course," Andromeda said with a regal wave of her hand. "We'll give you a day or two to adjust."

"Gee, thanks," Hermione said drily.

"Don't be impertinent, dear," Andromeda said sternly, and then ruined it by grinning widely. Ted snorted and wrapped an arm around his wife and kissing her on the forehead.

"I'll need to go shopping for clothes," Hermione said hesitantly. "I've brought all my money with me. I wasn't certain how to arrange it otherwise."

"No, of course not," Andromeda agreed. "Diagon Alley or muggle London?"

"Muggle London for some of it," Hermione said absently. The wizarding world didn't really have an equivalent for jeans and Hermione loved her jeans. "I'll have to get school robes and whatnot in Diagon Alley."

"Very good. Do you want to be there while I browbeat Dumbledore, or would you rather be absent?" Andromeda asked curiously. Hermione swallowed.

"I'm a bit angry with him at the moment," Hermione admitted. "I'm actually afraid to meet him right now because I'm afraid I might scream and yell at him."

"That might not help your cause," Andromeda agreed, frowning to herself. "I think I'll go alone. If necessary, I'll pull you in to see him, but we'll try to avoid it for now."

"Thank you," Hermione said feelingly.

/\/\/\/\/\

Diagon Alley in August was bustling with back-to-school shoppers and Hermione followed the Tonks' absently as they walked along with little Nymphadora. She had been thrilled when she wasn't forced to come face-to-face with Dumbledore. Apparently, Andromeda had steam-rollered him around to her way of thinking with a bit of fierce Black temper and the cold, hard facts. She'd received her Hogwarts letter right on time, and now here they were, shopping on Diagon Alley. Andromeda had raised a brow at the snug jeans, the black boots, and the Buzzcocks t-shirt that the younger witch sported as they headed out the door. Hermione had grinned at her and shrugged. She'd been measured for her school uniform at Madam Malkin's and they'd collected her textbooks from Flourish & Blott's. They stepped out of the apothecary's and Hermione blinked for a moment in the blinding sun. She felt a strange tug that she hadn't felt in at least a year. She turned unerringly toward it and froze for a moment. It was him, her brother. He was frowning, and she knew he could feel the same pull she did. She dropped her bags and ran toward him, heedless of what she was doing.

"Remus!" She called desperately, tears already streaking her cheeks.

The last time she'd seen her brother, was when he'd been laid out for burial. His head turned toward her and his eyes widened in shock. She flung herself at him and he staggered slightly, but his arms came around her. She was crying and whispering his name and hugging him and pressing kisses on his cheeks and chin because she was too short to reach any higher. Hermione wound her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest, inhaling his scent. He bent his head to her hair and took a deep breath of her scent.

"Hermione?" He asked hesitantly, afraid that he was wrong. She pulled back, her amber eyes filled with tears and she wrinkled her nose at him.

"Who else?" She asked him tartly. "You often have weepy girls flinging themselves at you in public?"

"Well, no," he admitted faintly, his arms tightening around her as he realized that she was really there. "You look…where have you been? What's happened?"

"You're not going to like it," Hermione warned him.

"I imagine not," Remus muttered drily, trying to imagine why his sister had been gone from him so long.

"Hermione!" Andromeda and Ted were panting as they made it to her, dragging their daughter along with them. "Don't run off like that, girl! You scared us both. Ah, you've found him. Excellent. Why don't you come to our house so that Hermione can explain everything?"

"Andromeda?" Remus said in surprise, his eyes widening. She grinned at him.

"The very same," she agreed.

"I think you'd better tell me what's going on," Remus said shortly, frowning slightly. So they took him to the Tonks' house, and they explained everything. His face grew darker and darker, until Hermione was afraid he'd explode with rage.

"So I, well, the future me, helped Hermione return to where she was meant to be, but she's your age. Sorry about that bit, but time travel is a tricky thing," Andromeda said quietly. Remus shook his head.

"She's back, that's all that matters," he said flatly, hugging her against his side. He looked at her and his face softened. "You'll always be my little sister, you know that, right?"

"I think I can live with that," Hermione said with a smile. A hole that she didn't even know her heart had had was now filled. She felt a sense of contentment that she hadn't experienced in years.

"So you'll be going to school with me this year?" Remus asked curiously. Hermione smiled at him again.

"Yes," she said smugly. To be honest, she was sort of looking forward to that.

"Don't speak to any boys at all," he said with a slight frown. "They're tossers. Every last one of them."

"Oh, Remus," she snorted with a roll of her eyes. He wasn't going to pull the big brother routine, was he?

"I'm serious, Hermione," he insisted. "You don't know how they think, but I do."

"What about my cousin?" Andromeda asked indignantly. Remus made an undignified noise.

"He's one of the worst," Remus said flatly. "I'd rather not have him within a ten-league radius of my baby sister."

"He's not wrong," Ted muttered ignoring the dark look that his wife sent his way.

"Remus, I know this is going to be hard to believe, but I can handle myself," Hermione said drily. Remus frowned at her, and she could almost feel his hackles rising. She sighed heavily. Having a wolfy-brother was probably going to be worse than Overprotective!Harry, which was saying something.

"They had better just watch themselves," he growled under his breath. Hermione snorted.

"Not to rain on your overprotective parade, but it's not like there's ever been a trail of men beating a path to my door," Hermione said tartly. "I hardly think that's going to change now."

"Why not?" Remus demanded and Hermione almost laughed at the sudden about face. Now he was offended that men _weren't_ hitting on her. She would never understand men. Not in a million years.

"If I may," Andromeda interjected politely, with a small smile for Hermione. "My letter to me said that she was a lot like her brother—a know-it-all bookworm, and if that wasn't enough of a detraction she also had two close male friends who were extremely protective of her."

"How close?" Remus demanded. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"Not like that, you prat," she snapped. "They were more like brothers than anything. I didn't even know about you until…well…never mind."

/\/\/\/\/\

Hermione was used to taking care of herself. She wasn't used to the warm, supportive, loving attention with which Andromeda and Ted Tonks showered her. Even little Nymphadora toddled over to her and clung to her leg before she left for the Hogwarts Express. Last minute instructions, hugs, and stern warnings to take care of herself and write often made her smile fondly at all of them before she left for Platform 9 ¾. Remus had decided not to say anything to anyone. He wanted to see their faces when she was Sorted. She had rolled her eyes at him and asked him what he would do if she were Sorted into Slytherin. He'd paled at that, and she'd laughed at him. So she was trying to make her way across the platform in her black boots and her snug jeans, this time with a Clash t-shirt clinging to her curves. She pushed her wild curls out of her face, not noticing the appreciative glances she was drawing from the male students.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake," she muttered in irritation. Dragging her trunk around was beyond annoying. She snapped her fingers and her trunk rose obediently and followed her onto the train. "There, much better."

The train was full, as it always was, and Hermione hunted in vain for an empty compartment. She finally found one and with a sigh of relief, entered it and put her trunk away. She sat down and pulled a book out of her purse. It was a small, slim volume on charms that was both rare and out of print. Hermione had found it to be immensely useful, and was soon entrance by its pages. It is therefore not surprising that she didn't look up when her door slid open.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?" Hermione glanced up from her book to see an arrogant looking boy already wearing his school robes. The green and silver of Slytherin made her eyes narrow and her wand hand flex.

"Yes?" Hermione snapped, quickly judging her chances with the group in front of her. There were three of them…she might be able to swing that. She hoped that she had the advantage, but there was no way to determine that before she fought them.

"You're new," the boy in front said speculatively, eyeing her muggle clothing, "so perhaps you're unaware of how things work around here. I'm going to help you out and explain a few things."

"I don't really think that's necessary," Hermione said coldly. His little buddies snickered, and he smiled coldly at her. She cast a silent, wandless shield, which proved to be a smart move as a nasty hex bounced harmlessly off of it.

"Is there a problem here?" A very familiar voice growled furiously. Hermione sighed.

"Why not at all, Prefect Lupin," the boy said in a silky voice that managed to be just shy of insulting.

"Then I suggest you vacate this compartment," Remus snapped, his eyes practically glowing. The boys muttered, but they left. He turned to Hermione and frowned. "Come along then."

"Oh, come on! I could've taken them!" Hermione argued helplessly. Remus snorted and rolled his eyes. Then he grasped her arm firmly and practically dragged her with him. She struggled fruitlessly, and felt akin to the picture of the younger her. He threw open the door to his own compartment, where the Marauders were lounging and pointed to an empty spot the bench where Pettigrew was sitting.

"Sit!" He ordered. She crossed her arms and glared at him.

"I'd rather not," she snapped. He growled at her and her eyes widened. "You wouldn't dare!

"Try me," he said furiously. She sat as far as she possibly could from Pettigrew and crossed her arms and glared at the wall across from her.

"I could've taken them," she muttered under her breath. Remus snorted.

"Right," he said drily. "I don't think you understand with what, exactly, you were dealing."

"Whatever," she scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"So, Remus, is kidnapping hot chicks a new prefect duty?" Sirius asked with a smirk. "Because if it is, I so want to be a prefect."

"Nott and his little buddies were harassing her," Remus snapped irritably. The other Marauders immediately sat up straighter.

"Should've known," James said with a laugh. "Sir Remus, knight errant, to the lady's rescue."

"Her unwilling rescue," Sirius added thoughtfully. He frowned at her in her muggle clothes. "Remus did you a favor. They wouldn't have taken no for an answer."

"Gee, thanks so much," Hermione turned and snapped at Remus. He snorted at her and sat down in between her and Pettigrew. She put her chin in the air and ignored him.

"Next time, maybe you should just let her be harassed," Peter muttered to Remus. He snarled at the smaller boy who cringed into the seat.

"Seriously, Moony, what's got you so worked up?" James asked in surprise. Remus sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Nothing," he muttered.

"Right, because 'nothing' always has you ripping Pete's face off," Sirius said drily.

"Just shut up, Padfoot," Moony said darkly, glaring at a spot on the wall. The rest of the trip was somewhat muted, but eventually the boys just pretended she wasn't there. Right before they arrived at Hogwarts, her brother escorted her back to the compartment and waited outside while she changed. When they came back to the Marauder's compartment the boys all frowned at her black tie.

"Are you a transfer?" James asked in surprise. "I didn't know they did that."

"I'm special," Hermione muttered with a slight grimace. Remus snorted at that and looked pointedly at the bench. Hermione sat gracefully and shot him a dark look that promised retribution later. He smirked at her, and her lips thinned. Oh, it was on.

"I'll bet you are, sweetheart," Sirius drawled with a smirk. Remus glared at his friend who blinked at him in surprise. "Remus?"

"Don't, Sirius," Remus said flatly.

"Don't what?" Sirius asked innocently. Remus' jaw tightened and he just looked at his friend.

"I think he means don't try your smooth moves on his girl," James suggested with a wicked grin. Hermione couldn't help it, she giggled, a girly, feminine giggle that had Remus rolling his eyes at her and James and Sirius looking at the both of them suspiciously.

"What's so funny about that?" James asked curiously.

"Nothing," Remus said flatly with a glance at his sister.

The Lupins were relieved when the train arrived at the Hosmeade station. Remus had prefect duties, making sure that the first years all made it toward the boats. He had a firm grip on his sister's arm as he pushed her toward the boats as well.

"I'm not a complete idiot, Remus," she snapped, jerking her arm free. He flushed uncomfortably.

"I just got you back," he muttered at her. She sighed and brushed his sandy brown hair out of his face.

"I'm not going anywhere, you silly wolf," she said softly and kissed him on the cheek.

"See that you don't," he said gruffly. She waved cheerfully to him and clambered into one of the boats. He sighed as he watched her begin to float toward the castle and then turned and ran for the carriage that his friends had held for him.

"So what's up with you and the transfer?" Sirius asked as soon as he climbed in.

"Drop it, Padfoot," Remus muttered, rubbing his face with both hands. James frowned at him.

"Are you okay?" James asked with genuine concern.

Remus nodded, his head still in his hands. He was a little surprised by how protective he felt about Hermione, but he supposed it only made sense. She had been taken from him for roughly eleven years, and for that entire time he'd looked for her. Whenever he could, using whatever information he'd gleaned from his parents. For eleven years, he'd felt like a piece of him was missing, and now he finally had her back. The rage he'd felt when Nott had threatened her had almost overwhelmed him. His wolf had wanted to rend Nott's flesh from his bones. He took a deep shuddering breath and tried to calm himself down.

"Moony?" Sirius asked gently and he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see his friends watching him with worried expressions. He sighed and sat up, shoving his hair out of his face.

"I'm fine," he muttered.

"If you say so," James said doubtfully. Then he turned to Sirius and began to tease him about some Ravenclaw girl.


	2. Adjustments

_Random Information you didn't need disguised as an Author's Note: Speaking of non-canon ships…there's a fanvid on YouTube for Sirius and Remus and it said "Closer". I assumed they meant NIN's "Closer". Boy was I surprised. _

For the first time in her life, Hermione felt like a giant as she towered over the ickle firsties. They kept stealing glances at her and she could feel her cheeks turning pink. She tried to ignore them, and began reciting arithmantic formulae in her head to occupy herself. She nibbled on her lower lip and watched them one after the other as they were called forward to be Sorted. She would be Sorted after the first years, which made her even more nervous. She knew everyone would be staring at her, but she dreaded it. None of that mattered she told herself as her eyes sought his. He was watching her, as usual.

"The first years are Sorted, but we are not quite through," Dumbledore said with a benevolent smile at everyone. "After many years, one of our own returns to us. I hope that into whatever House she is Sorted, we all attempt to make her feel welcome."

Hermione could feel the confusion of the Great Hall wash over her. What on earth was Dumbledore talking about? Someone was returning? How could someone return if they'd never been to Hogwarts? Hermione heard the whispers and tried to ignore them. She turned to him again, drawing strength from his presence. He nodded at her encouragingly and her shoulders automatically went back, and her chin lifted.

"Lupin, Hermione!"

Now the Great Hall was buzzing loudly and Hermione saw the three Marauders almost give themselves whiplash as their gazes moved from Remus to her to Remus. She moved forward confidently and perched delicately on the stool. The hat was placed on her head and soon it was muttering to itself.

"Hermione Lupin…well, that explains a lot. I wondered you know, back then, or, in the future I will wonder, or, Merlin, time travel makes everything confusing, doesn't it? _You are going to Sort me today, right?_ Yes, yes, keep your tie on. Hmmm, you're smart, just like your brother, but what you've done is incredibly brave and/or foolhardy as well. Better be…GRYFFINDOR!"

The Marauders rose and started whistling and clapping and the rest of the table followed. Hermione hurried to her brother's side, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders automatically. She leaned against him for a moment of comfort and then pulled away reluctantly to sit down. A small note appeared at her place sitting. She picked it up and recognized the handwriting immediately. Her lips tightened in displeasure. Remus frowned at the note and then nudged her. She sighed and opened it.

"He wants to see me after dinner," she muttered to Remus. He growled low in his throat, more of a rumble in his chest.

"I'm coming with you," he insisted. In this case, Hermione didn't mind. She thought it might be a very good idea for the Lupins to present a united front.

"Fine," she said absently, and then flipped the note so that it caught flame and disintegrated. The Marauders stared at her for a moment.

"Er," Remus said, staring at the small pile of ash on the table. Hermione was calmly eating her dinner.

"Hmm?" She turned to him curiously. He gestured to the ash. "What?"

"What do you mean, what?" Sirius leaned across the table to whisper at her. "You set the note on _fire_."

"You can't do that?" Hermione asked innocently, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. Sirius frowned at her.

"We don't learn nonverbal spells until _this_ year," he pointed out flatly.

"Hmm," Hermione said noncommittally.

"This is her then?" James asked Remus quietly. Remus' arm snaked around her again and gave her a one-armed hug.

"Yeah," he said quietly.

"Welcome to Hogwarts and all that," James said sincerely, with a warm smile. He reminded her of Harry for just a moment, but the way he held himself was completely different and his hazel eyes were too direct, too…something…to be like Harry.

"Thank you," she murmured, flushing slightly under his gaze. She continued to eat quietly and let the chatter of the Marauders wash over her without touching her. She noticed the way Remus' eyes kept sliding toward her, as if to assure himself that she really was there. She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from giggling at him. She knew how he felt, and his feelings were completely valid. If she giggled at him it would only hurt him.

After the welcoming feast, Remus took her elbow and directed her to Dumbledore's office. He gave the password to the gargoyle and then he shifted so that he was in front of her. Hermione rolled her eyes behind his back. Did he think she wouldn't know what he was doing? Why was it that people, or rather men, operated under the belief that she needed to be protected? She had told him most of what had happened before. He knew that she'd fought in battles, in a war.

"Ah, Mr. and Miss Lupin, please come in and sit down," Dumbledore said quietly. He appeared very somber and serious. Hermione sat down nervously, and felt grateful for Remus' presence. He calmed her, centered her.

"Why did you want to see me, Professor?" Hermione asked cautiously. He sighed heavily and looked at her over his glasses.

"Your parents loved you both very much," Dumbledore said quietly. Remus snorted and Dumbledore turned his gaze to her brother. "They were devastated when you were hurt, Remus, but they were absolutely terrified when they though Greyback might come back for Hermione. Apparently he threatened as much."

"If that was the plan, then sending me to the future, where Greyback also exists, by the way, might not have been the smartest choice in the world," Hermione said tartly. Remus snarled, his eyes turning as his wolf surged in him.

"He came after you?" Remus growled at her. Hermione swallowed nervously.

"He appeared, er, interested in me," she said faintly. A low growl filled Dumbledore's office.

"It appeared to be the only option available at the time," Dumbledore said sadly. "I regret that we were not fully successful."

"I regret not growing up with my brother," Hermione snapped irritably.

"Your parents made that decision, not me," Dumbledore said quietly, his eyes focused on Remus who was still struggling for control. She put a hand on his arm and watched him shudder for a moment and then come back to himself.

"Yes, not your fault, we understand," Hermione said tartly. She rose to her feet. "Is that all?"

"I am sorry," Dumbledore said softly. "I never meant to hurt either one of you."

"You see Professor," Hermione said coldly, her eyes narrowing, "that's the problem with doing everything for the 'greater good'. When you make people's decisions for them, you remove free will. That is not your right, nor is it your prerogative. That, sir, is how you ensure that many more people die than ever should have and they do so without ever knowing the true reason why."

"I see," Dumbledore said sadly.

"Come, Remus," Hermione said icily. She turned and swept out of his office, stalking toward Gryffindor tower. Remus raced after her, and caught up to her quickly.

"What were you talking about, back there?" He demanded. Hermione sighed.

"You don't want to know, Remus," she said softly. "It's not going to happen."

"Hermione," he tried again and she shook her head.

"No," she muttered. "I'm not going to talk about it."

"Fine," he said quietly. "Let's get you to your dorm."

Lily Evans, the other sixth-year prefect had waited in the commons area to show her to her bed. The other girls seemed polite, but cool. Hermione supposed it was because they hadn't had five previous years to become friends or at least dorm-mates. She put her things away mechanically and then grabbed one of the books she was currently reading. This one was about transfiguration and animagi.

"So, your brother is Remus Lupin?" One of the girls, Marlene, Hermione thought her name was, asked curiously.

"Yes," Hermione said absently as she noted the page she was on and closed her book. "Why?"

"What's he like?" She asked eagerly.

"Bossy and overprotective," Hermione said flatly. Lily made a scoffing noise, and Hermione turned to look at her. "You disagree?"

"Remus is one of the nicest, most mild-mannered boys at Hogwarts," Lily said in a tone of voice that Hermione found she didn't care for at all.

"Try asking me out in front of him," Hermione said drily. The other girls giggled and Lily flushed.

"But I'm a girl!" Lily protested. Hermione snorted.

"And your point would be?" She asked flatly.

"Girls can't ask girls out," Lily stated emphatically. Hermione picked her book up again and opened it. The other girls shifted their attention elsewhere. Lily looked around the room and frowned. "Well, they can't, can they?"

"You know, dear," Hermione said absently from behind her book, "I highly suggest you check out some of the books on bondings in the library."

"Listen," Lily began heatedly, her cheeks flushing, but Marlene put her hand on Lily's arm and shook her head. The girls were quiet for the rest of the night. Hermione finally fell asleep, her book on her chest.

/\/\/\/\/\

Over the next few days, Hermione realized that most of what she thought she knew about this era and the Marauders was dead wrong. She had assumed that Remus was shy and didn't date a lot because of his 'condition', but apparently he did date quite a bit. He was what Ginny would have called serially monogamous. He dated one girl at a time, but he changed them out fairly often. He wasn't as bad as Sirius, but he was a flirt. James was just as bad as Remus. For some reason, Hermione had always had the impression that poor James was sitting up in his ivory tower, pining after his precious, sainted Lily-flower and that he never even dreamed about looking at another girl. She snorted to herself. That idea had been completely blown out of the water, 'blown' being the operative phrase there. Note to self: empty classrooms were NOT safe to study in. Even Peter had a girlfriend. She shuddered at the thought, but she supposed that there was no accounting for taste.

"Prongs," she heard somebody mutter and her eyes widened in shock. She knew that voice fairly well.

"Merlin, Padfoot," came the answering murmur and her eyebrows shot up to her hairline. She snuck a peek around the corner and her jaw dropped open. Holy Nimue! She turned and fled, her cheeks flaming.

"Hermione?" Sirius poked her in Transfiguration. She ducked her head down, and doodled on her parchment.

"Yeah?" She muttered.

"I've been trying to talk to you for five minutes, why won't you look at me?" Sirius wheedled shamelessly.

"Haven't I?" She asked as she drew a tiny wolf who was racing through the woods.

"No, you haven't," James said from her other side. "You ought to give in to him, or he'll just get a complex."

"Yes, what is it?" Hermione said, looking straight into his grey eyes and trying not to think about what he'd been doing earlier with the boy that was standing right behind her.

"So who do you think is the cutest boy at Hogwarts?" Sirius asked, waggling his eyebrows at her. She blinked. He shook a finger at her. "No fair saying Remus. He doesn't count because you can't date him."

"You can't be, er, you must be joking," Hermione said with a small frown. He shook his head and then tossed his hair. She felt like rolling her eyes, but restrained herself.

"He means it," James said firmly from behind her. She risked a glance over her shoulder and found him watching her. Right. Okay then, handsomest boy at Hogwarts.

"I really wouldn't know. I've barely been here a week," Hermione protested.

"Come on, Hermione," Sirius said and gave her puppy dog eyes. She did roll her eyes at that point.

"Look, that sort of thing has never interested me," Hermione said with a shrug. "I don't really pay attention to the outside. I pay attention to what's inside."

"That's just something people say when they aren't confident about themselves," Sirius said arrogantly tossing his hair again.

"No," Hermione contradicted him with a shake of her head. "I've met men who were beautiful, I mean really, really beautiful, but they were cruel and vicious. I can never see just the outside of anyone without wondering what lies beneath the skin."

"More beautiful than me?" Sirius asked cockily, daring her to tell him no. She smiled then, a slow, wicked grin that made Sirius blink.

"Yes, actually," she said, yanking his chain just because he'd pushed her. "They were gorgeous."

"She answered your question, Sirius, now leave her alone," Remus snapped from behind her. She smirked at Sirius and he frowned slightly. Then Remus was sliding into the seat next to her. "Arrogant prat."

"He wasn't trying to get into my pants," Hermione soothed him with a pat on the knee. "I think with him it's just practice flirting, like the way he behaves with Professor McGonagall."

"That's because he's suicidal," Remus muttered darkly. Hermione giggled and shook her head at her brother.

A week later, Hermione dragged Remus off to an extra potions lab that she had received permission to borrow and use for a private project. He stared at the smoking goblet with some trepidation, but when Hermione explained what it was, and what the Wolfsbane potion would offer him, he swallowed it down easily. He gagged slightly at the taste, but then he whooped and picked Hermione up and twirled her around. She laughed and let him twirl her. He seemed so free and relaxed. She'd never seen him like this before. Never. It made her happy to see her brother this way. Several days later, she was sitting in the common room of Gryffindor when Remus walked into the tower, scooped her up in his arms and carried her up to his dorm. He sat on his bed with her cuddled in his lap and sniffed her all over. He sniffed her hair a lot. She sat there patiently and let him sniff for the most part.

"Tell me this isn't going to happen every single full moon, Remus," she asked quietly.

"Don't know," he muttered. "Need to make sure you're okay, you're safe. Don't want to leave you alone."

"Oh, you big silly wolf, you don't have to," Hermione informed him with a smile. He frowned at her.

"What does that mean?" He asked. She climbed out of his lap, despite his wolfy whine and stood in front of him. Then she was on all fours, but still standing. She was delicate, graceful—a female black wolf. He knelt down and gently touched her ruff. "You're beautiful."

"So you'll let me come play with you, big brother?" She asked curiously after she shifted back, her head cocked in a manner that reminded Remus of wolves. He grinned at her.

That night Moony was pacing anxiously, waiting for something. Wormtail, Prongs and Padfoot watched him nervously, and then they heard it. A howl that brought Moony's head up and had him giving an answering howl. Then there was an excited yip and Moony was racing off toward the direction from which the howl had issued. They saw the dainty little black wolf that was wiggling in anticipation and was then racing in circles around Moony, her jaws open in the wolf equivalent of laughter. He growled at her and she stopped. She danced in front of him, tail wagging energetically and she licked his muzzle. He snorted and nuzzled her back. The little black wolf took off like a shot, racing across the grounds toward the Forbidden Forest. Moony took off after her, and the others followed. By morning, they were all exhausted, but the little black wolf was still dancing around Moony. She licked Moony's muzzle one last time and then she was scampering off as the boys headed toward the Shrieking Shack.

"Merlin, Moony, when did you pick up a wolf girlfriend?" Peter asked as he stretched.

"What are you complaining about?" James snorted as he tried to pop his back. "You weren't the one who was chasing them all over hell and back."

"I think my paws are sore," Sirius grumbled.

"I feel fabulous!" Remus said exultantly. The others threw their shoes at him.

/\/\/\/\/\

"I read the books you suggested," a very subdued Lily Evans said quietly. Hermione glanced up from the treatise _Of Arithmantic Expressions_ by John Dee and blinked at the redhead for a moment.

"Oh?" She said mildly.

"I keep thinking I know all there is to know about the wizarding world, and then I find out I'm wrong," Lily muttered darkly. "It's very annoying."

"True, it is. So, do you want to ask me out in front of my brother and see the boy you think of as mild and sweet turn into an over-protective git?" Hermione asked curiously. Lily flushed.

"No, I believe you," she muttered. Hermione frowned slightly and looked closer at Lily Evans.

"You like him!" She exclaimed in surprise, her eyes widening. Lily squeaked and looked at her in horror.

"I do not!" She shrieked.

"You do," Hermione insisted, knowing that she was right. Lily gave another indignant shriek and ran from their dorm room. Lily liked _Remus_. Lily liked _her brother_. She groaned in irritation. _Nothing_ was the way it was supposed to be. She felt a world class migraine coming on. Honestly, it wouldn't surprise her if Bellatrix showed up trying to raise money to save orphaned Centaurs or something.

It was that sense of disorientation, the up and down of everything that Hermione blamed for that first Hogsmeade weekend. She convinced Remus that she was going to Hogsmeade with the girls from her dorm and she snuck off by herself to her favorite used bookstore with several galleons burning a hole in her pocket. She was wearing her black boots, her favorite jeans and a scoop-necked jumper because the weather was turning chillier. She quickly worked her way to the back corner, where the out-of-print and rare books were piled and picked up one that looked promising.

"I hate to interrupt a fellow bibliophile, but I really need that particular volume," said a smooth, silky voice at her elbow. She looked up in surprise to be ensnared by brooding, black eyes that seemed to be assessing her. She smirked at him, genuinely amused.

"You need this particular volume," she drawled, looking him up and down with her own little assessing gaze. She knew who he was, who else could he possibly be with that nose and that hair? He looked much better now. The years would apparently not be overly kind to Severus Snape.

"Yes," he said firmly, staring at her mouth. He moved a little closer to her, perhaps closer than was necessary. His chest brushed her arm.

"_Of Witches- The Power of the Female Magic Wielder_?" Hermione asked curiously. He blinked and then looked at the volume in her hand.

"Oh, well, maybe it was a different volume," he recovered quickly, giving her a slightly shy smile. She giggled at him, and he quirked a brow at her. "Would you care to join me for a beverage?"

"I'm honored at the invitation," she said with a smile, "but my brother would have a fit if I went flitting off with strange men."

"Your brother," Snape's lips twisted slightly and then he sighed. "I suppose he's the best of the lot, which isn't saying much, to be honest."

"You don't rescue kittens, or anything, do you?" Hermione demanded suddenly. Snape frowned slightly.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked politely.

"Do you do charity work?" Hermione asked. His face cleared and he gave her a smirk.

"I tutor students who need extra help. Does that count?" He asked curiously

"Why are you talking to me? I know you can't stand my brother or his friends," Hermione asked suspiciously. He shrugged.

"You seem to be an intelligent, pretty girl and there are few enough who happen to be both," he muttered in that voice that seemed to caress her nerve endings.

"I see," she murmured, looking up at him and thinking. The bell tinkled over the door and suddenly she could feel her brother behind her.

"I thought you were coming with the girls," he said flatly. She shrugged.

"I wanted to go to the used bookstore," she tried to explain.

"And you have," Remus agreed as calmly as he could while glaring at Snape.

"Remus, you have to relax," she said as calmly as she could. "You can't rip people's heads off for talking to me."

"But," Remus said helplessly, trying to convey the almost over-whelming desire to ensure her safety. Hermione turned to him and brushed his hair out of his face and touched his cheek lightly.

"I'm tougher than I look, big brother," she said gently.

"I'll leave you now," Snape said calmly with a small bow for Hermione. She smiled at him, and elbowed her brother when she heard the low growl emanating from his chest.

"For Merlin's sake, Remus, it's not like he's trying to have his way with me here in the stacks," Hermione muttered irritably as she made her way to the register.

"He was thinking about it," Remus muttered darkly. Hermione grinned at him, a slow, wicked smile that made him worry.

"Was he really?" She said slowly, looking after his retreating form. Remus frowned darkly at her. She paid for her purchases and headed towards the street. The crisp fall air made her glad she'd worn a jersey under her jumper.

"You cannot date Snape," he said flatly. Hermione snorted at him.

"You wanna bet?" She asked archly.

"Ooh, are we betting?" Sirius asked cheerfully as he came up behind them.

"What are we betting on?" Peter asked curiously.

"Snape's lifespan," Remus snapped. James laughed.

"That's a wager I'd back any day. What can we do to shorten it?" James asked curiously.

"Hermione," Remus said warningly. Hermione glared at him.

"You don't want to have this conversation, Remus," Hermione told him flatly. "You won't like it at all."

"You cannot-," Remus began again, and Hermione made a slashing motion with her hand, her eyes almost glowing with rage.

"You love me, I get it," she hissed in his face. "I love you, too, but that gives neither of us control over the other. Do not push me, big brother. You won't like it, I promise you."

"What did we miss?" James asked quietly as Hermione stalked back toward Hogwarts.

"Snape was hitting on her," Remus muttered, trying to control himself.

"He _what?_" James and Sirius both squawked angrily. Remus sighed.

"And she seemed interested," he said disgustedly.

"Um, Remus, have you considered that Hermione may be suffering from debilitating brain damage?" Sirius asked with concern lacing his voice.

"Debilitating? Wow, that's a five galleon word, Black. You all must be so proud of him," Lily Evans tossed over her shoulder as her group of friends passed.

The Marauders all glared at her and she blinked in surprise. She wasn't used to that sort of behavior from them. James Potter had publicly declared his affections for her at least once a year since their first year, and it seemed to provide a certain layer of protection. Lily Evans was an Untouchable. She glided through the halls of Hogwarts, tossing her auburn hair and flashing her green eyes and she received appreciative glances from the Marauders, and through them the rest of Hogwarts. She was the Gryffindor Princess. She dated selectively, but no one ever treated her with anything but respect. Lily saw those glares and the protective bubble around her world cracked just a little. She frowned and decided to seek out the one person who seemed to know more than she did.

"Hermione?" Lily asked uncertainly. The girl was sitting in an unused tower, staring out over the grounds of the castle. Her brown curls spilled over her shoulders and down her back. It was a darker shade than Remus' sandy brown, Lily thought absently. Her eyes weren't like his, either. His were brown with little flecks of grey in them. Hermione's eyes were a rich cinnamon color with threads of a strange golden amber.

"Hmm?" She turned to Lily and cocked her head curiously.

"I have a question," Lily said quietly, and she outlined her situation as she knew it. Hermione frowned thoughtfully and then shook her head and snorted.

"Were you picked on, in your first year?" Hermione asked quietly. Lily tried to remember back that far.

"Yes," she said with a start of realization. "Because I was a muggleborn. No one in Gryffindor, of course."

"It's an old pureblood custom," Hermione said quietly. "I only know about it because I had friends who had nothing better to do than sit around and talk to a curious girl. Anyway, the Marauders as a group are made up of some fairly influential families, and they offered you public protection through James. The Potters are an Ancient and Noble House. If anyone hurt you after he declared for you, it's his duty to exact retribution. If he does not, his honor comes into question."

"What if I don't want his protection?" Lily asked in a subdued voice.

"It can be removed, of course," Hermione said mildly with a shrug. "It's not as if it's permanent. I would imagine he renews his protection every so often."

"Er, yes," Lily acknowledged.

"Well, you could ask him to stop. Or deeply offend him so that he withdraws it," Hermione suggested.

"I think maybe I already have," Lily muttered. Hermione sat up suddenly and frowned at her.

"What did you do?" She demanded in a cold, furious voice that shocked Lily. Hermione had only been here for a couple of months, but she was very close to her brother and seemed to be close to the other Marauders as a matter of course. Lily blushed with embarrassment.

"I insulted Black," she muttered. Hermione sighed.

"That would definitely upset James," she agreed. Lily frowned slightly. The way Hermione said it, it was as though she meant something more, something deeper.

"What do you mean?" Lily asked. Hermione looked at Lily for a moment and then shook her head.

"If you insult any one of them, you insult all of them," Hermione said, but Lily had the feeling that she was being evasive. "Besides, I don't know if you've noticed, but all of them are actually quite bright. Maybe not Peter, but the other three are frighteningly intelligent. It's a shame they don't apply themselves."

"Er, yes," Lily said blankly, her mind suddenly filled with the concept of Marauders who _applied themselves_. She shuddered slightly and pushed that thought away.

"Be careful, Lily," Hermione murmured. "You may think that you don't want Potter's protection, but you may not care for the alternative either."

/\/\/\/\/\

The Great Hall was the stage upon which many of the Marauders best pranks were perpetrated because really, what good was a prank if no one ever saw it? Severus Snape dreaded the Great Hall on a regular basis because he knew that he was the focus of far too many of the Marauders pranks. It also made him mistrust gifts from unnamed sources. He knew that Lupin was going to have a fit after he'd dared to talk to his sister, but he hadn't cared. Severus could tell that she was brilliant, he could see the intelligence in her eyes. She was also very pretty, and he found himself wondering what it would be like to tangle his hands in those wild curls and kiss those full lips. So he wasn't surprised when a complex jinx was cast on him that made him misquote Shakespeare at a loud volume declaring that he would give his kingdom for shampoo. His face burned with humiliation, and he thought of several fun ways to eviscerate all four of them. Suddenly, she was at his side, those golden brown eyes furious staring up at him. She grabbed his arm and dragged him from the Great Hall as he continued to misquote Shakespeare to his own embarrassment. She cast a quick spell on him and the compulsions were gone. She dragged him into an empty classroom and frowned at him.

"Are you all right?" She asked flatly. He looked himself over.

"I believe so," he said austerely.

"I'm sorry about that," she said with a sigh. "He's incredibly overprotective."

"I think I understand," he said quietly. "If I had a sister, I would worry about her safety as well."

"Are you a risk to my safety?" Hermione asked curiously. He shrugged.

"I could be," he said finally. Hermione smirked at him.

"Would you like to threaten my safety right now?" She asked him with a wicked little smile that did odd things to his innards.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked faintly.

"Remus said that he could tell that you wanted me," she said slowly and smirked at his flush. "So do you?"

"No," he muttered desperately. "Not at all."

"Liar," Hermione said fondly.

"I think I should leave now," Severus said nervously, and edged toward the door. Hermione followed him, that wicked little smile curving her mouth.

"You're not _afraid _of me, are you Severus?" she cooed at him, her voice caressing his name. He stopped and frowned at her.

"Of course not," his said coldly. She gave a little shiver.

"Could you do me a favor?" She asked thoughtfully.

"It would depend," he replied suspiciously. She grinned at him.

"Could you say: turn to page 394?" She asked.

"What?" He said in surprise, completely non-plussed.

"Or you could just kiss me," she continued appearing to consider both options. "I suppose it's up to you in the end."

He would never know what possessed him that night, but he grabbed her by the arms and pulled her roughly against him. He frowned down at her, his black eyes boring into hers before he lowered his mouth to hers. His lips moved over hers expertly, and she responded enthusiastically, her tongue teasing his, but he pulled back with a frown.

"No spark for you either?" Hermione asked curiously. He blinked at her in surprise.

"Your technique is excellent," he said coolly. "You are skilled and enthusiastic, but…yes."

"Ditto, here," Hermione agreed. He blinked again. She sighed.

"What's the matter?" He asked curiously.

"I wanted to want you," she said at last.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked faintly. She grinned at him.

"You do that a lot. Beg for my pardon. I wanted to want you. You were safe. Er, I don't mean that in an insulting way. I meant it more in an 'I believe you to be a trustworthy, honorable man' way," Hermione explained. He stared at her.

"You think me an honorable man," he said slowly. She nodded. "But I'm in Slytherin. They're all evil. Hadn't you heard?"

"Oh, don't be silly," she said with a light laugh. "A person's House doesn't dictate their nature. It only suggests tendencies in their nature."

"You are an odd woman," he said finally. She laughed again, a low, throaty noise that teased his senses.

"You don't know the half of it, Severus Snape," she told him with a smile. Then she turned and left him alone in the classroom. He stared at the empty room and thought about the woman who'd just left.

/\/\/\/\/\

Hermione walked toward Gryffindor tower, frowning slightly. Perhaps Regulus? She knew that he was good and decent, well, except for the whole racial purity thing. She was musing through her options when she was suddenly pressed against a wall by a large, well-muscled body. James was glaring at her. Those hazel eyes looked furious. Then his lips were on hers, punishing her. He stole the very breath from her body and left her gasping for air. When her mouth opened he plundered it, his tongue touching and probing her mouth's secret recesses. The spark that had been absent only minutes before was like a raging inferno rushing through her veins. She felt the fire roaring in her ears. She struggled, pulling back from him. He was glaring at her still.

"Stay away from Snape," he rasped at her, his harsh breathing echoing in her ears.

"Or what? You'll snog me to death?" Hermione demanded tartly. He flushed and pulled back from her.

"I'm sorry," he muttered finally. "I have no idea why I did that."

"I don't either," Hermione snapped, "and I'm certainly not impressed. You keep your hands to yourself."

"Look, I am sorry," he said quietly, running an absent hand through his hair. "It won't happen again."

"See that it doesn't," Hermione said coldly. She felt a sudden presence at her back and restrained herself from banging her head against the stone walls of Hogwarts.

"James," Remus' voice was slightly strangled sounding. James had the grace to look utterly embarrassed.

"It was an accident," he said in a small voice.

"What was an accident?" Sirius asked as he came to stand next to them. His nostrils flared and he looked between Hermione and James before turning to glare at James. "An _accident_?"

"Hermione?" Remus said in voice that she recognized as dangerous.

"He just sort of pounced me, snogged me silly and then told me stay away from Snape," Hermione said flatly, knowing when to pick her battles. Sirius and Remus both glared at James, but for vastly different reasons.

"Right," Sirius snapped furiously.

This night might go on record as the oddest night of my entire life, Hermione thought absently as Sirius grabbed her and kissed her. His lips were seductive, teasing and flirting, nipping and licking. She found herself sighing and melting against him. Her arms wound around his neck and let him tease her with his tongue and his lips and his teeth. She could feel the slow burn building in her and could feel her body responding to his before her brother ripped her out of Sirius' arms. Sirius looked surprised to find his arms empty and then frowned at Remus.

"I wasn't finished yet," Sirius snapped. Remus growled furiously.

"Yes, you were," he argued. "Everyone is finished. Come on, Hermione."

He stalked toward Gryffindor tower, dragging her along behind him. Then he spent the next two hours ranting and raving in the common room. Hermione sat there and listened to it because she didn't have a choice, but she did shoot a rather pointed look in Lily Evans' direction. The redhead looked shocked at this side of Remus. He went on for some time about how none of the boys in Hogwarts could be trusted, with a furious glare toward his friends. Hermione sighed loudly and rolled her eyes at several points, but she listened until he finally ran out of things to complain about. She stood up, turned on her heel, and marched up to her bedroom. Remus scowled at everyone in the common room and left. James and Sirius looked at one another, sighed, and followed their friend.


	3. Making a Place

_A/N: Wow, um, much love for the idea of a JP/HL/SB triad. I'm surprised, and yet, you are reading me…and I do tend to sort of go there. _

_Right, so, many of you want Remus to know *exactly* what Hermione's been through, but I'm not sure if we can let that happen. We don't want Remus to think that James & Lily are 'destined' to be together and any discussions about Harry and or The-Boy-Who-Lived are sure to bring those types of thoughts into his mind. Then, too, she might have to explain how she's really almost nineteen, which could prove problematic as well. That and we have to keep in mind that all of this is incredibly painful for Hermione. She has a lot of emotions tied up in everything that's happened to her and all of that has affected her._

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Finding a pissed off werewolf in a giant castle with moving staircases was a lot harder than it sounded. Even with the map helping, Sirius and James hunted for him for a couple hours before they found him hiding out in an empty classroom in the west tower. James supposed that earlier that evening there had been desks in the room. At least, he assumed that's why there were splintered pieces of wood scattered across the floor. Remus was leaning against the window frame, his hands fisted against his thighs.

"Go away," Remus muttered, not even turning to look at them.

"We're not leaving," James said flatly. "Marauders stick together."

"Is that before or after you shag my baby sister right in front of me?" Remus snapped turning to glare at the both of them.

"He started it," Sirius muttered, glaring at James. Remus' amber eyes shifted to James and his face grew darker.

"You stay the hell away from her," Remus said coldly. James flushed in embarrassment.

"Look Remus, I'm sorry," James muttered.

"It's bad enough that you get up on tables and declare Lily off limits," Remus said flatly, "while you shag Sirius and date a series of different girls on the side. Not that I, personally, give a damn who you shag James, but you are not adding my baby sister to the list."

"I wasn't planning on it," James protested weakly. "It just…it happened."

"Right," Sirius scoffed bitterly and rolled his eyes. James sighed and tried to pull Sirius in his arms. The other boy moved away and glared at him from across the room. James frowned.

"You kissed her, too!" He argued. Sirius snorted.

"Well, yeah!" He snapped. James stared at him.

"You do realize that that makes absolutely no sense at all," James pointed out.

"And kissing her for no apparent reason does?" Sirius countered.

"I would really like it if you would both stop kissing her," Remus said irritably.

Both boys sighed and looked at one another. James could see the hurt in Sirius' eyes and his gut clenched. They had rules about that…stuff with girls. It was always something they talked about, and approved beforehand. Rule number one was that 'they', the two of them, came first. They had a relationship, and it worked for them, and that was all that mattered. James had never done anything remotely like this before—kissing random girls in hallways. Well, not random girls. One specific girl who he had known was off limits before his lips had ever touched hers. He groaned mentally. This was going to involve major groveling of a type that was previously unprecedented. Normally, it was Sirius who fucked up and upset a jealous James. Sirius was going to enjoy this far too much for James' comfort.

"I really am sorry," James said helplessly. Sirius' jaw tightened and James sighed and turned to Remus.

"I just got her back, you know?" Remus' voice was strained. "They thought they were saving her or something, but it sounds like the place they sent her to was just as bad, if not worse."

"What do you mean, Moony?" Sirius asked uncertainly. The look that Remus sent to them was almost anguished.

"She won't talk about it," he said finally. "All she'll say is that she's had to fight. Watch her walk, she walks on the balls of her feet like a fighter. It scares me. I worry about her being safe all the time, and she'll just laugh and tell me that she's tougher than she looks."

"We would never hurt her," Sirius said indignantly. Remus just shot him a look.

"There are different ways to hurt a bird, Padfoot," Remus said drily.

/\/\/\/\/\

Hermione wasn't speaking to them. For somebody who'd only been in their lives for a couple months, the absence of her presence left a huge void in their day. Considering that they had the Map, and the skills of five previous years of Marauding, it was almost eerie how she was able to elude them. Remus tried to give her space, but they could all see that it was killing him to leave her so exposed. James and Sirius paid attention when she was in the room and they noticed what Remus had immediately. Hermione moved with the fluid grace of a dancer, or a warrior. They noticed that she seemed to be hanging out with her dorm mates, which made Remus relax and worry less.

Boys were obnoxious, Hermione thought darkly as she stalked toward Hogsmeade, ignoring the familiar shadows that trailed behind her at a respectful distance. Then she shook her head and pushed them from her mind. It was almost Christmas break, and Hermione wanted to do some shopping for the Tonks family; they had been kind and gracious and she felt that she owed them something, even if Andromeda insisted she did not. She made a straight line for some of the little shops, hoping to find something for everyone. Several galleons lighter, Hermione found herself wandering toward the Three Broomsticks. She was pleasantly surprised when her dorm mates waved her over to their table. They were all giggling hysterically when she slid in next to Marlene McKinnon.

"Hermione, if we have a party in the dorm tonight, are you game?" Lily leaned across and whispered loudly at her. Hermione smirked. She'd never seen Evans quite so laid back.

"Is it going to be one of those parties where we strip down to our knickers and have pillow fights?" Hermione asked curiously. She'd never actually taken part in one of those and they always sounded like fun.

"No," Lily said with a frown.

"Yes," Marlene said with a grin.

"It's entirely possible depending on whether or not we can get Lils drunk," Dorcas Meadows confided.

"I don't see what the point-," Lily began, but Dorcas clapped a hand over her mouth.

"See?" She said pointedly.

"I think I might be persuaded," Hermione said finally.

The other girls grinned at her and dragged her to Honeydukes to stock up on 'supplies'. Then Marlene grinned at her and grabbed her hand, dragging her off to pick up the other supplies, or as Marlene liked to call it 'Lily convincing potion'. The two girls walked confidently through Hogsmeade, unaware of the pretty picture they made. Marlene McKinnon was a truly beautiful girl with long wavy, blonde hair and large cornflower blue eyes. She was taller than Hermione by several inches and her curves were more generous. Hermione would have supposed that Marlene would be empty-headed, or boy crazy, but she wasn't. Rather, Marlene was keenly intelligent, kind and had a wicked sense of humor.

"So, what's your poison?" Marlene asked curiously. Hermione smiled wickedly.

"Ogden's is what I'm used to," she said with a shrug.

"Merlin's beard, Hermione, that's some pretty strong stuff. I was just going to get elven wine," Marlene said in surprise.

"What can I say? The house I lived in was filled with men and one of them in particular kept the house, er, well-stocked," Hermione said absently as she looked around the tiny, dark store they were in.

"Well, we're not quite rich enough to be able to afford that, so you'll have to make do with what I can get on my allowance," Marlene said drily.

"Oh, I'm sure I'll manage," Hermione said with a shrug. Marlene bit her lip and then nodded. Hermione was such an odd girl sometimes. She moved toward some dusty looking bottles and made her selections.

/\/\/\/\/\

The snickering and giggling could probably be heard all the way out in the commons room, but at the moment none of the girls really cared. Elven wine was quite pleasant, Hermione decided, and a hell of a lot smoother than Ogden's. They had ended up stripping down to their bras and knickers on different dares, and when Hermione's turn had come they'd whistled and catcalled because they were a little bit drunker than they'd been earlier.

"Bloody hell, Hermione, what happened to you?" Marlene McKinnon asked in a shocked voice, staring at the scar on her stomach.

"I was stupid," Hermione said shortly.

"It's, I mean, you still have a very nice body, it was just sort of a surprise," Marlene stumbled over her words.

"I have a nice body?" Hermione asked in surprise, staring down at herself.

"If I didn't know better, I'd think you were fishing for a compliment," Lily said and then dissolved into a fit of giggles.

"Ignore her, she's a light-weight," Dorcas said with a dismissive wave of her hand. She scrutinized Hermione for a moment. "No, it's true. You've got a very nice body, Hermione. Your breasts are not quite as large as Marlene's, but they look gorgeous in that bra. You're not too skinny, I hate that, and you've got an adorable bum."

"Well, er, thanks, I think," Hermione said faintly. Dorcas and Marlene exchanged a look and then turned back to her.

"Did you ever have a pillow friend, wherever you were?" Marlene asked curiously, the liquor making her bold. Hermione blushed.

"Just one," she said quietly. Marlene and Dorcas grinned at her.

"Tell us everything," they said in unison. Hermione blinked.

"It was during the war," Hermione said absently, her eyes unfocusing slightly as she remembered. "We were both being held in Ma—er, somewhere, and we found comfort in one another. She'd been my friend before, but she's what kept me sane, oddly enough."

"What war?" Dorcas asked with a frown. Hermione blinked suddenly and shook her head.

"Sorry," she muttered, "I can't talk about this right now."

"It's okay," Marlene said quietly, touching Hermione's shoulder gently. "You don't have to talk about it."

"Did you love her?" Lily asked curiously. Hermione's eyes narrowed on Lily's face, but there was no judgment in her face. She sighed and thought about Luna.

"Not the way you're thinking," Hermione said at last. "By that time, I was too broken to really love anybody."

"Too broken?" Dorcas asked softly, her olive green eyes wide in horror. Hermione shook her head.

"I can't talk about this, I'm sorry," Hermione muttered. She pulled back on her jeans and a shirt and slipped her feet into her boots. "I need some air."

She ran down the stairs from the dormitory and flew out of the commons room. She noted with relief that her brother and his friends hadn't been there, so he wouldn't try to follow her. Right now, she didn't want to see anyone. It was late, after curfew, but she knew the castle well enough that she anticipated that she'd be fine. In the end, she found herself in the astronomy tower, staring out at the grounds.

_"It's just us here, Hermione, no one else," Luna whispered softly, her silver eyes staring into Hermione's wide brown eyes. _

_"I've never-," Hermione began uncertainly, but Luna put a finger over her lips and smiled. _

_"I know," she said softly. Then she grinned. "It's all pretty much the same, and it all feels good."_

_"Make me forget, just for a little while," Hermione said at last, and Luna leaned forward and pressed her lips to Hermione's. _

"Hermione?" Marlene's voice sounded soft and uncertain. She looked over her shoulder. "You're awfully close the edge."

"Yes, I am," Hermione agreed absently. Marlene made an exasperated noise.

"No, I mean, you need to step back a bit, please," she said quietly. Hermione looked down and noticed that she was standing perilously close to the edge. She took a step back and turned to Marlene.

"Why did you come after me?" Hermione asked with a slight frown. Marlene giggled at that.

"Right, I can see it now—gee, Remus, we had no idea that letting your drunk, emotionally distraught sister wander off alone in a giant castle filled with evil boys was a bad idea—can you imagine the lecture that he'd give all of us? It would just kill Lily. She's half in love with him, you know," Marlene said tartly, her hands on her hips.

"Not drunk enough," Hermione muttered. Then she grinned. "There has to be Ogden's somewhere in this castle."

"Oh, I'm sure there is, but do you really think drinking _more_ is the answer to your problems?" Marlene asked curiously as Hermione as she descended the stairs from the Astronomy tower.

"Look Marlene, there _aren't_ any answers to my problems, okay? I deal with them, but I can't solve them, and I usually deal by getting ripped or fucking the first passably decent man I come across or both," Hermione snapped irritably.

"Maybe if you talked to somebody," Marlene offered quietly. Hermione stopped walking and turned and stared at Marlene.

"You want to be that somebody, Marlene?" Hermione asked coldly. "Fine, let's talk."

"What problems are you trying to deal with by drinking your own weight in Ogden's?" Marlene asked bravely, looking right into Hermione's eyes.

"She died in my arms," Hermione whispered, her eyes seeing someone else, somewhere else. "Before he could get us out, she died in my arms."

"Who's he?" Marlene asked, frightened by the tears that traced down Hermione's cheeks.

"Harry, he was my—he was my Harry," she whispered, her arms wrapping around herself.

"Your boyfriend?" Marlene asked uncertainly. Hermione shook her head.

"He was so much more, and so much less than that," she muttered. "I never fucked him, if that's what you're subtly asking. It would have been too weird, we were too close for that, but I loved him. He filled that hole in my heart that I never knew I had until I found the clues that Remus had left for me."

"What happened to him?" Marlene asked even though she was pretty sure she knew already.

"Murdered," she whispered. "Everyone…the bodies covered the field and the blood ran like rivers that day. Even now I can close my eyes and see it."

"Hermione, the scar," Marlene said hesitantly. Hermione frowned at her.

"That was different. That was a stupid mistake when I was naïve, innocent…stupid," Hermione said flatly. "There are other scars that you just can't see anymore, Marlene."

"I'm sorry," Marlene said softly, and she reached out to touch Hermione's cheek. Hermione tried to smile, but it was more of a grimace.

"Why? You haven't done anything," Hermione said calmly.

"I wish I could take away your pain," Marlene said sincerely, her cornflower blue eyes sad. Hermione shrugged.

"I'm told that time will help," Hermione said drily. Then she snickered. "Maybe it will, who knows?"

"Let's get back to our dorm before Lily flips out and tells on us," Marlene said firmly, and she grabbed Hermione's hand and began to drag her back toward the Gryffindor tower.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Do you think she'll ever forgive us?" James asked with a particularly pathetic air. Remus quirked an eyebrow and just looked at him. James sighed petulantly. "Sirius forgave me."

"Sirius actually loves you, Merlin knows why," Remus muttered at him. James frowned at Remus who shrugged an apology. It was an unwritten rule that they didn't talk about _that_ outside their dorm room. Or in front of Pete, either, actually. They weren't sure if he could handle it, and they didn't want to risk him freaking out on them.

The portrait door opened and Hermione slid into the common room. She moved unerringly to Remus and climbed into his lap, putting her arms around his neck. Marlene had followed her through the portrait hole and she gave a nervous wave to Remus.

"What happened?" He asked tersely, his hands stroking her back trying to soothe her distress. Marlene flushed.

"We started talking about things," she began hesitantly and then faltered. Hermione seemed to curl into Remus.

"It's okay," Remus said softly to Marlene. "I'll keep an eye on her."

"Hermione?" Marlene said quietly. Hermione raised her head just enough to look at Marlene. "I'll just go up to our dorms, then."

"What is it, Hermione?" Remus asked gently. She only clung to him tighter.

"It hurts," she mumbled. He stared at James who shrugged uncertainly. He stroked her back in slow circles and felt her distress recede. Then she was heavy, warm, and sleepy in his arms.

"What do I do with her?" Remus asked James helplessly. James gave his friend a slight smile.

"Bring up to the dorm. You can have my bed and I'll sleep with Sirius. Then she can sleep in your bed," James suggested reasonably. Remus nodded and carefully followed his friend up to their dorm. Hermione curled up in Remus' bed and she looked tiny and fragile. They covered her up with his blankets and stepped back from her bed.

"James, what the hell," Sirius grumbled, half awake. "Your feet are fucking cold, go get in your own damn bed."

"Can't, Remus is there," James said cheerfully. Sirius sat up, blinking.

"Moony, what the hell are you doing in James' bed?" Sirius demanded. A heavy sigh issued from James' bed.

"Trying to sleep, Padfoot, now shut up," Remus said firmly.

"Go get in your own bed," Sirius ordered.

"Can't, Hermione's there," James continued cheerfully. "Now shut up and go to sleep."

"What is Hermione doing in here? She's got her own dorm room," Sirius grumbled.

"She's sleeping and if you wake her up, I'll kill you," Remus growled from James' bed.

"Well you don't have to get pissy about it," Sirius muttered as he rolled over and tried to go back to bed. James snuggled up against his back and wrapped an arm around him. He sighed and felt himself drift off to sleep.

When Hermione woke she felt warm and safe and she snuggled deeper into the blankets. Then she heard the sound of laughter. Distinctly male laughter. She woke instantly, sitting up and looking around herself warily. She saw Sirius racing out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his hips, laughing as he tauntingly held another towel in his hand. A furious, naked, wet James stalked out of the bathroom after him, holding out one hand in a clear gesture that demanded the towel that Sirius had obviously swiped from him. Hermione blinked. Was she dreaming? None of her previous dreams had _ever_ featured a furious, naked, wet James although she had to admit it wasn't a bad view. In fact it was rather pleasant. He was broad shouldered and very well-muscled. He also had no tan lines. That thought alone made Hermione's eyes glaze over slightly. He certainly had _nothing _ to be ashamed of.

"Enjoying the view, sweetheart," she heard Sirius ask in a voice that was thick with amusement.

"Yes," she murmured and licked her lips absently. Then she blinked and looked at both boys. James was blushing darkly and had wrapped the towel around his waist firmly. Sirius was grinning at her.

"Well, it's only fair that you get the full treatment then," he said with a smirk and he let his towel drop.

"Oh my," Hermione said faintly. He was beautiful. Really, really beautiful. She realized now how much Azkaban had altered him—how much it had stolen from him.

"Padfoot, Moony is going to rip your throat out with his bare hands," James hissed at Sirius.

"Oh, fine," Sirius huffed. He grabbed his towel and stalked off to get dressed. Hermione stared at the muscles rippling in his back as he pulled on his trousers and then looked at James's sharply defined abdomen as he buttoned his shirt.

"Did you sleep all right?" James asked anxiously, once he was dressed. Hermione stared at him for a moment.

"Yeah, I did actually," she said with a slight frown. At that moment, her brother entered the dorm, a towel over his shoulder and a pair of trousers slung low on his hips. She tilted her head slightly. From a purely aesthetic point of view, her brother wasn't bad on the eyes—despite the scarring. No wonder Lily had the hots for him.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Remus asked as he towel-dried his hair. Hermione turned and looked at James.

"Do you really want Lily? Or is she expedient?" Hermione asked curiously. James paused with a sock in his hand, a confused look on his face.

"He was trying to protect her, first year," Sirius answered for him. Hermione nodded.

"I thought so," she said to Sirius. Then she turned back to James. "So you're not really attracted to her at all, are you?"

"Well," James looked panicked, and he glanced to Sirius. Hermione shook her head.

"Come on, James," she said firmly. "Truth time."

"I thought I did," he muttered slowly, his brow furrowed. "She's a nice girl, kind, very intelligent. She'd make a good mum, I bet."

"So you were what, thirteen, fourteen, and evaluating her as future wife material?" Hermione said with a horrified fascination.

"It's not unusual, Hermione," Remus pointed out. "The only reason you don't have a contract is because Mother and Father shot you off into the, er, wherever, and they couldn't guarantee anything to a potential suitor."

"Sirius doesn't have a contract," Hermione pointed out. Sirius blinked in surprise.

"How do you know that?" He demanded.

"That's because all his cousins were already taken," James said with a grin.

"Hey!" Sirius snapped in irritation.

"Anyway," Hermione continued loudly, ignoring them both, "Lily likes Remus, but he will never ask her out because you've spoken for her."

"You like Lily, Remus?" James asked in surprise. It had never occurred to him that his friend would like Lily. Remus' dark blush was answer enough. He looked at Sirius who shrugged. "Ask her then, Moony. I swear to you that I won't be mad."

/\/\/\/\/\

Christmas at the Tonks' house was one of the best that Hermione could remember. Remus had come with her and they'd arrived to be torpedoed by Nymphadora. Andromeda followed to give them both warm hugs. Hermione had discovered that her mother had died several years ago from some kind of illness and her father had died a year ago. She supposed she should feel sad, but she'd never met them and she never knew them. Remus was different. She had known Remus for years and his death had devastated her just as much as Harry and Ron's deaths. She felt strange, like an unnatural daughter, for being so uncaring, but Remus had held her and told her it was okay. One night a couple of days after Christmas, they sat up late drinking Andromeda's Egg Nog, which was heavily spiked with rum. Remus wasn't drunk at all, of course, but Hermione felt quite pleasant.

"They were good people, but my condition overwhelmed them," he had told her quietly. "They couldn't handle it. Mum…she was muggleborn and she was convinced that if we could just find the right healer, it would be fine. Dad wanted to believe her. He didn't want to think that his only son was condemned to suffer because he'd said the wrong thing to the wrong people."

"I still wish that I'd been able to be there for you," Hermione said sulkily. Remus snorted.

"I was just a little boy and my lycanthropy made everything more difficult for me. I can't imagine being a very good big brother to you. Hell, Hermione, what if I'd hurt you?" Remus pointed out. Hermione glared at him.

"You've never hurt me," Hermione said flatly. "Never."

"I've only known you for about six months Hermione," he said drily. Hermione shook her head and bit her lip.

"You knew me," she said softly. He became completely still.

"How?" He whispered. She never talked about what had happened and he felt a fissure of fear and excitement race along his spine.

"You were my DADA teacher my third year," she said quietly. She grinned at him. "Everyone loved you. They all thought you were the best, hands down, even after they found out you were a werewolf."

"Was that the only time you met me?" He asked hesitantly. She shook her head.

"No," she said carefully. "My best friend was…important…to the Order and we saw you a lot at Headquarters. You became a friend. I admired and respected you. I felt drawn to you, but I couldn't figure out why. You were drawn to me, but you were so confused."

"I can only imagine," he said drily. She laughed and swatted his arm. Then she looked introspective.

"I should have known," she murmured. "You were the only one who never made fun of me for reading, for loving to learn. You were the same way. We used to sit up for hours and talk about ancient runes."

"I'm glad you sort of had me," he muttered. She snorted and shook her head.

"But I didn't. You were so old, no offence big brother, that I think you felt uncomfortable with me. I think it made you feel odd, that you were so drawn to me," Hermione said sadly. "And it caused problems with your wife."

"My…my _wife_?" Remus squeaked, his eyes wide. Hermione shrugged.

"Andromeda says not to worry about things like that because they might not work out the same way now that I'm back where I belong. You might end up married to somebody else. Or who knows? Maybe you'll end up with a wolfy harem?" Hermione said with a slight smile. Remus frowned at her.

"You seems pretty blasé about this," he said flatly. Hermione turned and looked at him and her eyes frightened him. They were eyes that had seen too much, been through too much.

"I have you, Remus, which means more to me than you'll ever know," Hermione said with firm conviction.

"What about you, isn't there some boy pining for you somewhere out there," Remus asked gently. Hermione laughed and it was a bitter sound that made his heart twist for his baby sister.

"Remus, I was in the middle of a war," she said softly, trying to be gentle, but at the same time she wanted him to understand. "Everyone I loved or could have loved died. I survived, Remus. I made it out alive. I'm not whole, and I'm probably not even healthy from an emotional standpoint, but I'm here."

"I'm so sorry, Hermione," he said quietly. He couldn't help but feel that he had failed her somehow. "I wish…I wish it had been different."

"Oh, it will be," she said firmly. She eyed him speculatively. "Wanna help me take down Voldemort?"

"I beg your pardon," he said in a dazed voice. "What?"

"Andromeda's going to help, too," Hermione said cheerfully, "she told herself to."

"So the two of you," Remus murmured faintly. Hermione grinned at him.

"As soon as I officially graduate, we're off to see the wizard, so to speak. Actually we'll be off to destroy his powerbases," Hermione said firmly with a nod for emphasis. Remus gaped at her.

"But you can't, you're just a student!" Remus protested. Hermione sighed.

"Honestly, Remus! After I graduate I won't be, will I?" Hermione pointed out. He flushed.

"But, Hermione," he tried again. Her face became cold and she glared at him.

"Have you watched everyone you know and love die?" She snapped. "Seen the light leave James' eyes? Watched death claim Sirius? Stood by helplessly while Lily is murdered in front of you?"

"N-no," he whispered, his eyes wide in horror as he saw those things happen in his mind's eye.

"I have," she said with a raw finality to her voice that warned Remus to back off.

"You saw," his voice was a rasp of pain. She made a hand gesture that cut him off.

"I saw _my _versions—my friends, my family," she amended, and he could tell that she was being evasive. Then she frowned and nibbled anxiously on her lower lip. "You had suffered too. So many, too many."

Their pasts, Hermione's past, was such a taboo subject. She never brought it up, refused to speak of it, so he was thrilled that she was opening up to him now. He could tell that she was hurting, that she was broken. He had known when he'd first met her, the desperate feel to her hug, the wounded look in her eyes. In that moment, he'd felt true anger at his parents. Whatever the risks here, the future had obviously not been any better. She was here now, and it was his job to protect her, to keep her safe, even if she seemed determined to thwart him.

"Come here, love," he said gently, and she leaned against him, allowing him to hold her. He tried to resign himself to the fact that he would most likely never know everything that had happened while they'd been separated. His arm tightened slightly around his sister.

/\/\/\/\/\

Arriving back at Hogwarts was always comforting to Hermione, and this time was no different. She exchanged greetings with all of the girls in her dorm, and suffered through exuberant hugs from Lily, Dorcas and Marlene. She'd never really had friends that were girls before. For whatever reason, she had always gotten along much better with the boys. Perhaps it was because whenever she hung out with Lavender and Parvati they pushed her to do things that she really didn't enjoy. Harry and Ron were happy with Hermione the way she was: a bushy-haired, buck-toothed, bookworm, know-it-all. She smiled to herself as she walked easily toward the library. That was it—the key—she realized with a spurt of fondness for her friends. Harry and Ron had loved and accepted her unconditionally. They hadn't cared that she wasn't overly frilly or feminine. They hadn't cared, well for the most part, that she was bossy and pushy. No, to them she was just Hermione, and that was all that mattered. It was exactly the way Remus treated her. She smiled again at the thought of her brother. She was happy to have this chance to be where she was supposed to be, to be with her brother as she was meant to be.


	4. Uncontrollable Feelings

_A/N: Gentle reminder…er, you have __**read**__ the warnings in the first chapter, right? Non-canon ships=non-canon ships. Although I must say I do like Auntie L's idea :D. If we do go there—it was all her genius. _

Girls were lovely creatures—intoxicating, beautiful, mysterious—and James adored them, but none of them had ever tapped into that inner, secret piece of him that Sirius had. There was a substantial part of him that _belonged_ to Sirius and that scared James more than he cared to admit. Sirius was Sirius, and everyone knew that; he was a flirt and a scoundrel and he fell into bed with anything that made eyes at him. James worried that eventually Sirius would get bored and push him away. Merlin knew he'd seen him do it to enough birds. Lily Evans, quiet, kind and studious seemed to be as far removed from Sirius as possible. She wouldn't flit from boy to boy or girl to girl. Whoever she was with that person could be assured of her affections. She was safe. Lily Evans would never burn him from the inside out the way Sirius did. That had been her appeal, her draw. She could protect him from himself. Unfortunately, she liked Remus and Remus liked her. She even knew about Moony, and didn't care. How could James interfere with that? He couldn't really, his moral code wouldn't allow for it. Stupid moral code.

"You okay, James?" Peter stood uncertainly by his bed. James looked up at his friend and frowned slightly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said with grin and a shrug. Peter hesitated slightly, but then he nodded and left the dorm.

Practicing Occlumency was always a smart thing to do, James decided with a sigh and he attempted to clear his mind. Think of nothing, he told himself, and allowed his mind to become pleasantly blank. Thick brown curls, tumbling wildly down—no, no he needed a completely blank mind. He erected a blank, smooth wall within his mind and tried to concentrate on it. Eyes like melted chocolate shot through with threads of gold. Merlin! He decided to focus on Sirius. He was easy to imagine. Long black hair that fell about his face in silky waves, grey eyes which could grow darker or lighter depending on his mood, the mobile mouth that most often had a smirking smile, the arrogant tilt of his jaw—James knew Sirius so well he could remember every inch of him. The small scar on his shoulder from a fight when they were younger grew visible. Warm gold-brown eyes flashed at him from behind Sirius, and he shook his head. He gave a growl of frustration and pushed himself off of his bed.

"James?" Sirius poked his head into their room. James scowled at Sirius who blinked in surprise. "Er, Quidditch practice?"

"Oh, right," James said dully.

"Are you okay, mate?" Sirius asked in an unnaturally subdued voice.

"Fabulous," James muttered as he pushed passed Sirius.

After a thoroughly exhausting Quidditch practice, and a much needed shower James headed back to the castle. He took the long way round to give himself some peace and privacy. He just needed a chance to clear his head, to think. He thought he saw wild chestnut curls and shook his head to shake the image, but when he looked again they were still there. He frowned and moved closer to the corridor. It was her. Merlin, why couldn't he stop thinking about her? Didn't he love Sirius? She was leaning with her shoulder against the wall, her back to him, and he realized she wasn't alone. His insides turned to ice when he saw that her companion was Snape, and he couldn't help himself. He moved out of sight and pulled his invisibility cloak on. Then he snuck closer to the two students.

"Your brother would not be pleased that you are here," Snape was saying coolly and James fought the snort that was rising in him. That was the understatement of the millennia.

"Yes," Hermione agreed calmly.

"And yet here you are," Snape continued, giving Hermione a pointed look. She tossed her curls.

"Trying to get rid of me, Severus?" Hermione purred in a way that made James see red.

"It seems to do me no good at all," Snape said with a great deal of irritation. Hermione chuckled.

"No, nor will it," she agreed. He sighed.

"Why are you torturing me?" Snape asked. Hermione snorted.

"If I were torturing you we'd be in one of the lower dungeons and I'd have you chained to the wall," Hermione said drily. Snape's mouth dropped open slightly. She paused and tilted her head to the side. "You're not into that, are you? I don't mind a bit of light spanking myself, but I've never been able to let go enough to allow anyone to do much more. Trust issues, my last boyfriend told me."

"Er," Snape said faintly a dull flush creeping up his neck. James was struggling to remove the image of a naked Hermione sprawled across his lap with her bum in the air from his mind. Hermione waved a hand absently.

"But really that's neither here nor there. I've been stalking you for a particular purpose, Severus," Hermione continued. "Are you a Death Eater?"

"I—what?" Snape squeaked his face paling to a chalky white color.

"I thought it was a pretty straightforward question. Are you a Death Eater?" Hermione said a little coolly.

"N-no," Snape said hesitantly. Hermione moved away from the wall and stood up straight.

"Now, Severus," she was purring again, and James hated himself for stupid hot, spurting jealousy that was rising within him. "You wouldn't be lying to me, would you?"

"No," he said again, slightly more forcefully. James couldn't see her face, but he had the sense that Hermione was carefully weighing Severus Snape.

"I'd like to propose an arrangement to provide mutual satisfaction," Hermione said finally. James clenched his hands at his sides and tried to concentrate on breathing quietly. Snape frowned at her.

"What sort of arrangement," he asked suspiciously.

"You are rather brilliant at spell creation," Hermione said calmly as though she were discussing the color of the sky. Snape flushed at her praise. "I need help with something particularly tricky. I've been working on it for a while, and I cannot help but assume that I am missing something."

"Really?" Snape looked intrigued. "What sort of spell?"

"Ah, well, that's the thing," Hermione glanced up and down the hallway and moved closer to Snape.

A flick of her wand and suddenly James couldn't hear anything but a buzzing noise. Snape looked shocked at whatever Hermione was discussing with him. He turned a ghastly shade of white again, and looked like he was sputtering. Whatever Hermione said, though, convinced him because he eventually he nodded. He looked as though he'd rather be doing anything else, but he was agreeing to whatever it was Hermione wanted him to do. James turned and retreated quickly. Just what was Hermione doing, sneaking about with Snape? What would Remus say, when James told him? James stopped in the corridor and frowned. Maybe he could just keep this to himself? The idea of telling either Remus or Sirius that he was sneaking about the castle spying on Hermione did not appeal to him. Both were sure to jump to the wrong conclusions. He grumbled under his breath and stalked back toward the Gryffindor tower, his mood growing progressively darker.

/\/\/\/\/\

The preferred spot for Remus Lupin to study was in a quiet, tucked back corner of the library. His acute hearing was usually more of a hindrance to his studying than a help, and he had found that being as far removed from other students as was humanly possible was the best solution. He was sitting quietly, his quill scratching across the parchment as he wrote his essay for Charms. Hermione was seated next to him, her own quill scratching busily away. Sirius paused for a moment, struck by how alike the two of them were. Remus and Hermione both had ink stained fingers, both held their quills in almost the exact same way, both had their heads tilted slightly to one side as their gazes flicked toward open books that surrounded them and their essay, and both were worrying their lower lip between their teeth. Despite those similarities it wasn't Remus' mild brown eyes with their grey flecks that haunted his dreams, nor was it his sandy brown hair, that flopped over his forehead that Sirius thought about during History of Magic. He swallowed and ignored those thoughts, pushing them away.

"Hey," he muttered quietly, and sat down across from the siblings. They looked up at him with identical expressions of polite inquiry and he fought a smile.

"Sirius," Remus acknowledged mildly. Hermione turned her attention back to her essay, seemingly ignoring him, and he felt slightly affronted by her ability to so completely disregard him. No one ignored Sirius Black.

"Marauder Meeting tonight," Sirius murmured to Remus. Hermione's quill steadily scratched away, a fierce look of concentration on her face. Remus nodded in understanding.

"I'll be there," Remus said with a wicked grin.

"See you then," Sirius said quietly, and he stood up to leave.

"Bye, Sirius," Remus said with a mock salute. Hermione ignored him, completely caught up in her essay. He frowned as he left the library.

Sirius Black was not used to being ignored, and he didn't care for it at all, especially when the bird ignoring him was one that was haunting his thoughts at the most awkward moments. It was utterly ridiculous, too. He loved James with all the wild ferocity of which members of the Black family were uniquely capable. At times he wondered if James wasn't an addiction, something that he'd never be able to shake. Girls came and went. They had always been interchangeable as far as he was concerned. James was not and never had been. He had experimented with other blokes, until he realized that James' sullen moods seemed to be directly related to those encounters. He had only managed to seduce James this last summer, and he had no intention of allowing him to get away any time soon. So why did he dream of thick brown curls spread across his belly and golden brown eyes that peeked up at him through long lashes? Why, when he was snogging other girls did he think about her soft, full mouth pressed against his and the way her curves had felt when he held her in his arms? He frowned in irritation and stalked off toward the courtyard.

"Hi, Sirius," said a seventh year Hufflepuff with a slow, lazy smile. Sirius smiled at her automatically while he tried to remember her name.

"Georgina," he said in the low, seductive tone that Remus had sarcastically dubbed his 'patented knicker remover' voice. Georgina shuddered slightly and stared at his mouth.

"Bored, Sirius?" She asked a little breathily. He tilted his head and considered her. Georgina was petite, she came to the middle of his chest, and she had wavy brown hair and brown eyes. He grinned at her.

"Not anymore," he murmured at her. She smirked a little bit as he took her hand and pulled her toward him.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Um, hi." Hermione looked up from her Potions essay to see a slender seventh year Gryffindor that she'd seen several times in passing.

"Er," Hermione said uncertainly. He grinned at her, and she found herself smiling back. He was boyishly handsome with warm brown eyes and blonde hair.

"Fenwick," he said cheerfully. Hermione blinked.

"Benjy Fenwick," she murmured, remembering one of the members of the original Order. He nodded, looking pleased.

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd know who I was," he said happily. She flushed slightly. She supposed that she really shouldn't know who he was.

"I've heard of you, girl talk you know," she said airily, trying to recover.

"Really?" That seemed to surprise him, and a dull flush crept up his neck.

"Nothing bad," she assured him hurriedly. He nodded, but he still looked slightly embarrassed.

"So, have you got a date for this Hogsmeade's weekend?" He asked curiously. Hermione shook her head.

"No," she said honestly. "Did you need help studying for your NEWTs? I could quiz you I suppose."

"No," Benjy said with a slight smile. "I wanted to know if you'd like to come with me. On a date. To Hogsmeade. The two of us."

"Oh," Hermione said, sitting back in her chair and staring at him.

He seemed sweet enough, and to be honest, Hermione liked the idea of going on a date with someone. She'd been focused on Remus and her relationship with him since she'd arrived. She'd joined him for every single full moon, and she brewed his Wolfsbane faithfully. She'd noticed with a jaundiced eye that her brother and his little friends had their parade of different girlfriends. She deserved a little action, too. Not that she was planning on any 'action' with Benjy Fenwick, but you never knew.

"So, is that a no then?" Benjy looked a little disappointed. She shook her head slightly.

"No, it's a yes," she said with a warm smile at the future member of the Order of the Phoenix. He grinned back at her with that handsome boyish smile and she felt a little warm and girly.

Status at the lunch tables was very clearly marked out and differed from House to House. At the Gryffindor tables, the Marauders—despite the fact they were only sixth years—were popular enough that they sat wherever they wanted and one's status was determined by how closely one sat next to them. Unless you happened to be a seventh year; they were above such things. Even the Marauders weren't cheeky enough to mess with the seventh years. Hermione sat at the end of the table by herself, eating methodically and reading a rather intimidating looking book about constructing containment wards. Marlene sat down next to her and smiled warmly. Lily and Dorcas sat down across from them. Hermione smiled at all of them and then turned her attention back to her book.

"Hermione," Remus bit out between clenched teeth. Hermione looked up in surprise to see an infuriated Remus who was glaring daggers at her, Sirius and James standing next to him and scowling slightly.

"What?" She asked in surprise.

"Did we or did we not have a chat about you dating any of the boys here at Hogwarts?" He asked in a voice that was just barely under control. She rolled her eyes at him.

"You ranted and raved, I listened to you," Hermione said flatly.

"Damn it Hermione," Remus began, but Hermione's glare made him falter slightly.

"It's the boys, right? They're all evil?" Hermione snapped irritably. Remus glowered at her.

"You know what I mean," he huffed irritably.

"It's Benjy Fenwick, for Circe's sake," Hermione scoffed. "He wouldn't hurt a fly."

"But," Remus tried again and Hermione just glared at him.

"We're going on this date and you are not going to intimidate him or prank him," Hermione said firmly. "You do anything to ruin this and I swear to you I'll shag him right here in the Great Hall."

"Hermione!" Lily's gasp was horrified and an exasperated expression crossed Hermione's features.

"Oh for Merlin's sake, Lily," Hermione growled.

"I'm not promising anything," Remus said coldly. "If he so much as breathes at you wrong, he's fair game."

"Fine," Hermione muttered with a toss of her curls.

"Fine," Remus growled before he stalked off, Sirius and James following reluctantly.

"Are you trying to give your brother a coronary?" Marlene asked her quietly, a small smile playing around her mouth. Hermione shrugged and then looked at Marlene coyly over her shoulder.

"Maybe. It would give Evans here an excuse to coo over him in the infirmary," Hermione said with a knowing look. Lily glared at her.

"You shouldn't be so flippant, Hermione," Lily began to lecture her, but Hermione really wasn't in the mood to be lectured. She was the lecturer, not the lecturee.

"Oh, stuff it Evans," Hermione said with a glower. "It's all fine and dandy for my brother to shag any witch who crooks her finger at him, but it's not okay for me to go on a measly date to Hogsmeade? That's completely unfair and you know it."

"What do you mean, shag any witch who crooks her finger at him," Lily said uncertainly, frowning. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You have noticed that my brother is rather sexy, yeah?" Hermione pointed out.

"Well," Lily said faintly and blushed.

"And he's a Marauder, right?" Hermione continued blithely.

"Of course," Lily agreed.

"And most of the girls in this school, present company excepted, of course, act like cats in heat around them, right?" Hermione said drily.

"That is true," Dorcas said with a faint moue of distaste.

"You couldn't possibly have believed Remus to be a virgin, could you?" Hermione said flatly, with a frown on her face. Lily flushed and shook her head no.

"I just thought he'd sort of stopped doing that," she said hesitantly.

"He has," Hermione agreed, "but that doesn't mean that his whole argument isn't a complete double standard."

"I guess that's true," Lily agreed reluctantly.

"Of course it is," Dorcas said firmly.

/\/\/\/\/\

"You know what I hate the most?" Remus muttered darkly.

"What?" Peter asked with an air of resignation.

"He's _nice_," Remus spat like it was a dirty word.

"It's true," James said morosely from his bed. "He's a genuinely good bloke."

"If only she were dating a right bastard," Sirius murmured in a dreamy voice from the foot of James' bed. James sat up and looked down at his feet where Sirius' head was.

"What is _that_ supposed to mean, Padfoot?" James asked in confusion. Sirius waved his hands in the air.

"I think he means then we could hex him all we wanted," Peter said carefully. Sirius nodded and pointed at Peter.

"What he said," Sirius confirmed.

"That would be brilliant," James agreed and laid back down to stare at his canopy.

"He treats Hermione like a queen," Remus said with a heavy sigh. James scowled at his canopy. Stupid Benjy Fenwick with his nice manners and charming ways was making Hermione happy. The tosser.

"That's a good thing, though, isn't it? I mean, you want Hermione to be happy and all that," Peter said, looking confused.

"Why couldn't she be happy as a cloistered Oracle or something," Remus said plaintively. He sat up as something occurred to him. "Do they still have Vestal Virgins?"

"I don't think so, Moony," James said apologetically. Remus' shoulders slumped.

"I should have known," he said with a resigned air. He fell back on his pillows and sighed heavily.

/\/\/\/\/\

What the hell was wrong with her? Benjy Fenwick was a good, sweet, kind man. In fact, he reminded Hermione a lot of Neville Longbottom save for the fact that he was a bit taller and rather slender. So why the hell was she dreaming about Sirius Black with that sinful come hither smile and why did she day dream about James Potter's hazel eyes looking at her with passion? Why was it that the only way she could feel passionate when Benjy kissed her was to imagine James' lips on hers or to pretend that it was really Sirius kissing her? It was beyond insane. She knew that they loved one another. Hermione was incredibly observant, and she saw all the tiny looks and touches, and she knew what they meant. She had hoped that dating Benjy Fenwick would be good for her, and it was…she just kept wishing for more.

"Knut for your thoughts?" Marlene asked curiously. Hermione's face went up in flames and Marlene giggled wickedly. "Oooh, _those_ thoughts are worth a galleon at least. Spill."

"Marlene, who was your first?" Hermione asked curiously. James and Sirius paused, frozen on the other side of the aisle. They were researching a prank and had come to the library to find a particular book on charms when they'd heard Hermione's voice. They looked at one another nervously. They knew who Marlene's first had been.

"James," Marlene said quietly. They heard Hermione's stifled giggle and exchanged a look.

"Really?" Hermione's voice was breathy, curious. "What was he like?"

"He's considerate, polite, deft," Marlene said thoughtfully. "He's gorgeous, but it's like there's a part of him that you just can't touch."

"I can believe that," Hermione sounded as though she knew something. They looked at one another, startled.

"Who was yours?" Marlene asked, her curiosity almost palpable. Another stifled giggle from Hermione.

"You wouldn't know him," Hermione's voice sounded a little smug. Marlene snorted softly.

"Try me," she said drily.

"He was a student at Durmstrang, his name was Viktor Krum," Hermione said quietly. "I spent the summer before my fifth year at his home in Bulgaria."

"What was he like?" Marlene asked curiously. Hermione paused for a moment and James and Sirius held their breath, waiting.

"He was a very big man, built like a brick wall, and he was so worried about squishing me," Hermione recalled fondly. "He was very gentle and very patient."

"He sounds like a sweetheart," Marlene commented. Sirius and James glared at one another. He sounded like an arse.

"Oh, he was," Hermione said softly. James and Sirius exchanged another look. Viktor Krum, wherever he was, was not long for this world.

"What about Benjy?" Marlene asked curiously. James clenched his hands into fists and Sirius blinked at him in surprise.

"He's very nice," they heard Hermione say in a slightly lackluster voice.

"Nice? Hermione, my gran is nice. It's hardly what you want in a boyfriend," Marlene said drily.

"Well," Hermione said helplessly.

"Love, you need to find someone who makes your insides quiver and makes your knickers wet," Marlene said firmly. They heard Hermione gasp and then choke on a laugh.

James turned and almost fled the library, Sirius hot on his heels. He grabbed ahold of James' arm and shoved him into a hidden passageway.

"Prongs, we need to talk," Sirius said quietly. James stared at him in the darkness. They were both tall, topping 6 feet, but James was an inch taller.

"What about?" James muttered defensively. There was a sigh in the darkness filled with fond exasperation.

"You like her," Sirius said calmly. James snorted.

"D'you think I've failed to notice that all the girls that you've shagged in the last few months have brown, curly hair?" James asked drily.

"You really like her," Sirius said firmly. Then his voice grew hesitant. "Maybe you want to date her? Maybe more?"

"I love you, you know that," James muttered, blushing in the dark. Sirius moved closer and James could feel the heat from his body.

"I love you, too, you daft bugger," Sirius muttered back, "but you still like her."

"You like her, too," James said firmly.

"Well, yeah," Sirius agreed.

"So we both like her," James said nervously.

"I guess so, but James, what do we do about it?" Sirius asked slowly.

"I don't understand," James said, feeling confused and unsure.

"Do we make her choose between us?" Sirius asked with an arrogant tone that almost made James laugh at him. He was such a cocky bastard, he completely discounted the fact that Hermione didn't really seem to be interested in either one of them.

"What if she doesn't want either one of us?" James pointed out uncertainly.

"How could she not want one of us?" Sirius said with a laugh.

"But," James began hesitantly.

"What?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"If we're making her choose," he said carefully, thinking all of this through, "then we're competing over a girl, right? What about us coming first Sirius?"

"Oh, yeah," Sirius said, somewhat crestfallen. "Okay, then, we can't make her choose, but…"

"But what?" James pressed in a gentle voice. Far more gentle than anyone would have guessed him capable of using.

"What if _you_ choose _her_," Sirius whispered. James blinked in the darkness. Sirius was asking if James would push him away, give him up. He rolled his eyes in the darkness.

"That's not going to happen," James said with a finality that surprised Sirius. "You'll get sick of me way before that happens."

"I don't think I'll ever get sick of you," Sirius said quietly in solemn voice that James had never heard him use before. Maybe it was because they were both in the dark, maybe it gave them the freedom to say what they had each been thinking.

"What's happening, Padfoot?" James asked hesitantly.

"I don't know," Sirius said finally. "Usually we just shag whoever strikes our fancy and move on from there."

"_We_ do no such thing," James said drily. "You do that. I sleep with pretty girls who proposition me. Sometimes I date them for a couple months while doing so to give the semblance that I am a gentleman."

"We've never shared a girl before," Sirius said slowly. James swallowed.

"No, we haven't," he said cautiously.

"Maybe we should try doing that, see if it works," Sirius said hesitantly. "I mean, what if we can't? Then there's no point, is there?"

"Er, are you suggesting that we get some girl to have sex with the both of us as _practice_?" James asked in a harsh whisper. Sirius sighed and James felt his long, supple fingers slid under his shirt and stroke the sensitive skin of his sides.

"No, love, I'm saying that if you and I come first then we need to figure out how to, er, share, without getting jealous of one another. You, Prongs, can be a jealous git," Sirius said this last bit fondly.

"Says the man who likes to be the center of attention," James said drily. "What are you going to do if she and I are…not paying attention to you every second?"

"Hmmm," Sirius said noncommittally.

/\/\/\/\/\

Hogwarts was a huge school, but it was almost impossible to keep secrets, especially around animagi with heightened senses. Hermione managed to keep the look of surprise off of her face when she smelled the same girl on both James and Sirius. It was wrong of her to wish evil things to happen to Heather Braintree. Really, really wrong to try and figure out how to make a hex that gave someone papercuts all over their body, and even more wrong to try and alter the aguamenti spell so that it brought forth lemon juice instead of water. Hermione thought about sleeping with Benjy Fenwick, but it all came back to the spark issue that she'd had with Snape. Was she overly picky? She thought that maybe she was when she broke it off with Benjy, but Marlene assured her that she wasn't. It did not help at all that her brother was disgustingly cheerful and couldn't stop smiling after he found out. She felt like punching him, but she managed to restrain himself. Marlene dragged her off to the Astronomy tower and threw little disks in the air and Hermione cast blasting hexes at them. Marlene was incredibly impressed and made a comment about Remus watching his step that had Hermione laughing, and not as angry as she had been.

The school year was almost over—her sixth year was almost over—and as far as she knew, Remus had not made any promises to Dumbledore. She gave a tiny internal cheer for that; she didn't want Remus anywhere near the werewolves that answered to Greyback. Rather he and Lily were doing a delicate, self-conscious dance around one another that she found both adorable and aggravating. He had escorted her to Hogsmeade several times, and they always looked adorable together. They were a quiet couple, whenever they were together it was as though they were in their own world. Hermione knew that Lily and Remus were not perhaps an immediate match in most people's minds—not the least of which was due to James Potter leaping on top of tables in the Great Hall and making ridiculous declarations—but there was a logic, a rightness to them that was only apparent when you saw them together. That wasn't to say that they weren't passionate. She suppressed a shudder of revulsion at her ample evidence to the contrary. There were things that _no one_ should _ever_ know about their brother. That he was an 'animal' in the sack was definitely right up there.

The plan for the summer was that Hermione would stay with Andromeda. Remus had previously promised Mrs. Potter that he would come and stay at Potter Manor after she had learned of his father's death. A gentleman didn't back out of social commitments, and a gentleman certainly didn't bring along uninvited guests. He didn't like the idea of not being with Hermione for the entire summer, but he knew that Mrs. Potter wouldn't mind if he left to visit his sister. They were both orphaned teenagers and they didn't have anywhere else to be, really. Hermione had nodded like a good girl and had readily agreed to everything that her brother said because she already had plans to go and spend a couple weeks with Marlene McKinnon and they had very wicked designs on London that involved things her protective big brother was better off not knowing about. Dorcas Meadows was going to try and convince her parents to let her come, too, but they knew Marlene pretty well and worried about her influence on their daughter. Hermione couldn't help the little ball of excitement and pleasure that she had within her. She was planning on being an irresponsible teenager. Any of her friends would be laughing themselves sick. She could almost hear Fred and George snickering about Granger _planning_ to let loose, and it didn't make her chest ache as sharply as it would have almost a year ago.

"Hermione, what are you doing?" Marlene asked nervously, glancing at her skittishly. Hermione blinked.

"Petting the thestrals," Hermione said absently.

"You can see them?" Remus asked from behind her. She cast a glance over her shoulder at him. Her nostrils flared as she caught the scent wafting over from Sirius and James and her lips tightened.

"Yeah," she mumbled softly. One of them sniffed at her hopefully and she giggled, pushing his nose out of the way.

"It's time to go, Hermione," Marlene said and Hermione climbed into the carriage that Remus and Lily were sharing with her, Marlene and Dorcas.

"I'll see you as soon as I can," Remus said quietly to Hermione. She nodded and smiled at him.

"Floo first, remember that Marlene and I are going to visit for a bit," Hermione reminded her brother. She snuck a glance at Lily. "And remember to visit your girl for a bit, too."

"Hermione!" Lily squeaked, turning pink. Hermione giggled and Marlene and Dorcas joined her.

"Would you rather he didn't?" Hermione pointed out. Lily blushed darker and shook her head.

"No," she whispered.

"Good," Hermione said firmly, with a steely look in her eyes that made Lily shiver.


	5. Summer Fun

_A/N: Let's remember. The only people who are in an actual relationship are Remus and Lily…sort of and Sirius and James, definitely. Remus and Lily have just begun dating one another. Sirius and James are in a solid relationship. No one else is in a relationship or has an 'understanding' or anything like that._

_._

_._

_._

_Summer 1977_

"How do you feel about tattoos?" Marlene asked curiously. Hermione bit her lip and looked worried.

"Tattoos?" She said nervously. Marlene grinned and it was full of wicked promise.

"Yeah, tattoos," Marlene said firmly.

"What sort of tattoos?" Hermione asked curiously.

"For you? Maybe an Ogden's label on your forehead," Marlene said drily. Hermione stuck her tongue out at her friend.

"Prat," she said fondly.

"What about lions? We're Gryffindor girls, aren't we?" Marlene suggested, her blue eyes watching Hermione's face.

"Maybe," Hermione said dismissively. The girls were walking in downtown London and Marlene had her arm hooked through Hermione's.

"Aw come on, Hermione," Marlene wheedled. Hermione sighed.

"Okay, fine, tattoos it is," Hermione said with a slight smile.

Marlene's wicked grin came back and she carefully steered Hermione to a particular shop. They argued for a good hour but both girls ended up with rampant lions (as depicted on the Gryffindor shield) tattooed on their right hips that extended up their ribcages. Marlene had chosen this particular shop because the artist was a wizard and their tattoos were magical. They still hurt like hell, but they healed much faster, the color was much less likely to fade, and the tattoos moved rather like photos. It was bigger than she had planned on, but she decided she liked her lion.

A couple nights later, Marlene and Hermione were walking through a different part of London with a couple pints in them and feeling quite pleasant. They'd both flirted with some very fit boys and Hermione had had a very enjoyable snogging session in the girls bathroom with a man that had looked rather like a young Colin Firth. He'd practically oozed sex appeal and she'd considered going home with him for a split second, but rule #3 was never leave a fellow girl alone in unknown circumstances. She and Marlene were talking and giggling when a chill went down Hermione's spine. She stood completely still and looked around herself.

"Wands out, Marlene," she whispered and Marlene nodded, her wand already in her hand. Hermione and Marlene moved so that they were back to back and they began to turn in a slow circle, their eyes scanning. There was a sound, a scrabbling noise that alerted both Hermione and Marlene.

"That way," Marlene whispered pointing with her wand. Both girls took off toward the end of the street, their eyes still scanning for danger. They saw two robed, hooded figures who appeared to be doing something to what appeared to be a muggle.

"Oi!" Hermione called loudly, startling the two Death Eaters into turning their way.

"Oi?" Marlene whispered furiously. Hermione grinned at her.

"You take the one on the left," Hermione whispered back.

At this point, Hermione's body took over for her. She moved swiftly, her eyes focused on the person in front of her, but her senses attuned to her surroundings. The Death Eater dodged her blasting hex and tossed a couple dark curses her way. She dropped to the ground and rolled to the side before she jumped back up, firing a cutting hex at the Death Eaters hands. She could see his eyes widen behind the mask and he fired another curse at her. She growled low in her throat. That was a nasty one, and she fired two back to back that were from the Black family library. If they were going to get nasty, she'd show him how it was done. He fell to the second one and she nodded and turned to Marlene who was acquitting herself quite well against her own Death Eater. Marlene was an amazing duelist, Hermione realized with a sense of pride in her friend. She was also just a kid, so she settled for stunning and body binding her Death Eater. She glanced toward Hermione and frowned slightly.

"You should bind him," Marlene said sternly. Hermione shrugged.

"Bound or unbound, he's not going anywhere," Hermione said firmly. Marlene paled slightly.

"Hermione," she said faintly, staring at the body on the street.

"Marlene, let's check on the muggle before you start yelling at me," Hermione said calmly. Both girls tried to be calm and professional, but they both ended up throwing up in an alley next to the muggle.

"I think he's still alive," Marlene whispered, completely horrified. Hermione checked his pulse.

"Yeah, he is," she affirmed. "Let's get him to St. Mungo's."

The girls struggled with the muggle because his wounds were so grievous, Hermione finally choosing to levitate him gently. They were both seventeen, and they had both received their apparition licenses, so Hermione insisted that Marlene take the muggle to St. Mungo's while Hermione dropped the Death Eaters off at the ministry. She was trying to drag the dead Death Eater corpse through the public floo at the Ministry when a pair of Aurors approached her. She paused, standing up to catch her breath and she gave a slight wave to the two figures who were frowning at her.

"Hey, um, I was just out and about, you know, and, er…I found these guys," Hermione said faintly, waving at the one stunned, one dead Death Eaters lying on the floor of the Ministry. One of the Aurors appeared to be reading her t-shirt and she thought she saw his lips twitch slightly.

"You just found these two Death Eaters in the street," The other Auror said harshly, glaring at her.

"Um, yes?" Hermione said hopefully. "So, really, there's absolutely no need to contact my brother, is there?"

"Your brother?" The harsh-sounding Auror said, frowning. Hermione gave him a weak smile.

"Did I say brother? You know, I keep doing that, don't know why. I think I should go to 's. I must have, um, hit my head or something. Well, toodles!" Hermione called over her shoulder and dove back into the fireplace, ignoring the startled oaths behind her. She stumbled out of the floo into the waiting area at St. Mungo's and looked around quickly.

"Hermione!" Marlene looked relieved to see her. "They say that the muggle should be fine."

"Good, we've got to get out of here," Hermione hissed as she shoved Marlene toward the door.

"What are you doing?" Marlene protested as Hermione pushed at her.

"Less talking, more walking," Hermione urged. As soon as they were out of St. Mungo's, Hermione grabbed Marlene and twisted with her on the spot.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Lily asked nervously. Marlene laughed.

"What could possibly go wrong?" Dorcas pointed out.

"Where's Hermione?" Lily asked curiously. Marlene and Dorcas giggled.

"Busy," they said in unison, exchanging a glance.

At first, Lily didn't recognize Hermione and when she did she took an almost comic double-take. Hermione's curls were twisted into an elegant chignon. She was wearing a white Grecian-style dress that showed off her figure and the tan she'd acquired at Marlene's house. She moved toward them confidently on platform golden heels with little straps that wrapped their way up her calves, her bag tucked under her arm. Hermione looked like a sun-kissed goddess, and Lily was even more nervous now. The plan, as Dorcas and Marlene had explained it, was to eat dinner at the most exclusive wizarding restaurant in London. They refused to accept reservations. They either served you, or they did not. Hermione moved to the front of their group and walked confidently toward the maître d'.

"Four for dinner," Hermione said smoothly, looking every inch the confident and powerful witch. The maître d' looked over their group and his lip curled when he spied Lily looking nervous and uncomfortable in her innocent looking summer dress.

"I think not," the maître d' said coolly. He turned away from them, and Hermione's face became furious. Two angry spots of color appeared in her cheeks and she flicked her arm out in a gesture that Lily recognized.

"Hermione-," Lily said uncertainly.

"Alphonse, these charming ladies are with me," drawled a cool voice from behind them. Alphonse stuttered slightly and fell over himself with apologies and little bows. Hermione tossed a glance over her shoulder and smiled coolly at the tall, blond wizard eyeing them curiously.

"You're late," Hermione accused with a mock-glare, and slid her arm through his.

"I promise, I shall make it up to you," he said mildly and led the way into the restaurant. The other three girls looked at one another uncertainly before they followed Hermione. The blond wizard held Hermione's chair out for her, and waiters held out the chairs for the other ladies. Hermione looked up at him through her lashes.

"Thank you," she murmured. He smiled, flashing a charming white smile.

"It is my pleasure…Hermione," he drawled, his voice seeming to caress her name. She shivered slightly and her eyes flared, the gold threads seeming to glow at him.

"You are a dreadful tease…Abraxas," she said with a slight curve to her lips. His lips curved and he gave her a small nod. He glanced at the other girls and then looked back at Hermione who smirked at him. "These are my friends. This is Marlene, Dorcas and Lily. Ladies, our knight in shining armor is Abraxas Malfoy."

"Mr. Malfoy," Marlene said with a wicked smile of her own. He nodded politely at her. Dorcas and Lily smiled hesitantly.

Terrified that at any moment they were going to be thrown out of the restaurant, Lily couldn't really enjoy herself. She stared in shock at Hermione half the time and sipped frequently at her white wine to calm her nerves. Hermione, Marlene and Dorcas spent the meal flirting lightly with Abraxas Malfoy, but every time his eyes slid toward Hermione, his eyes turned a liquid silver that seemed almost molten. Lily was starting to think that the smartest thing to do would be to get all of them out of there.

"Tell me, Hermione, what are four ladies such as yourselves doing out on a night like this?" Abraxas drawled in that smooth, velvety voice of his. Hermione smirked at him.

"A bit of this and that," she said coyly.

"As a gentleman, it behooves me to see you safely to your destination," he cajoled her. Hemione's smirk grew.

"Oh, I don't think you'd like that at all, Abraxas," she told him with a flick of her eyes at Marlene, who hid a grin. "You see, we're going to a muggle dance club."

"Really?" He said in surprise, his gaze surveying the four girls in front of him. Then he gave Hermione a slow, lazy smile. "I can't think of anything I would enjoy more than dancing with you."

"Can't you?" Hermione purred at him. His eyes widened slightly and he flashed those white teeth at her again. She seemed to be considering him. "Wouldn't your son disapprove?"

"My son and I are not the same person," Abraxas said coolly. Hermione's eyebrows raised, and the smile she bestowed on him was slightly warmer.

"In that case, I would be honored," Hermione said softly.

The dance club was loud and gregarious and Abraxas Malfoy looked genuinely fascinated with everything around him. He had danced with each of them in turn, and he had Hermione in his arms again. Lily had noticed that when he danced with her, he had been scrupulously proper and correct. His treatment of her had been nothing less than that of a perfect gentleman. At the moment, he did not appear to be a gentleman at all. Hermione was being held scandalously close to him and he appeared to be whispering something in her ear that was making a light blush darken her cheeks. The only thing that stopped her from marching out there and saying something was the happy smile on Hermione's face. She was enjoying herself. Hermione's cheeks were flushed and a couple tendrils had escaped her chignon to curl about her face and neck. She and Abraxas were perfectly partnered dancers and they both moved with the skill and grace of those who had had dance lessons for years. He spun her effortlessly and then dipped her back almost to the floor. She hooked her leg around his hip as he bent her over his arm.

"I cannot believe that we just had dinner and went dancing with Abraxas Malfoy," Marlene said and then dissolved into a fit of giggles. Hermione snorted, her arm slung through Dorcas' as they walked along the dark streets.

"He got to go on a date with four gorgeous witches," Hermione pointed out drily. "How many other wizards can say the same?"

"Wait, a date?" Lily said nervously. "That, er, Remus, I didn't know it was a date!"

"Oh, you haven't cheated on him, Lily," Hermione said firmly. Then she smiled wickedly. "Besides, rule #1 has been seeing us along quite well."

"Rule #1?" Lily said hesitantly.

"Of course," Hermione replied.

"What's rule #1?" Lily asked curiously."

"Don't get caught," the other three witches said in unison.

"Oh," Lily said faintly.

/\/\/\/\/\

Babysitting for the Bones family wasn't the most exciting thing in the world, but it was one of the silly little teenage things that Hermione had never had a chance to do. Fortunately, Andromeda and Mrs. Bones were friends, and Hermione found herself on the Bones' doorstep on a Saturday night. Her hair was swept up into a high, tight pony tail and she had on a tank top and shorts with a pair of worn trainers. If only she were snapping pink chewing gum, her look would be complete. She knocked smartly and waited patiently for Mr. or Mrs. Bones to answer.

"Now we shouldn't be too late," Mrs. Bones said worriedly. She glanced at her husband.

"Are you planning on having anyone over?" He asked with a slight frown. Hermione widened her eyes to look as innocent as possible.

"Well, sir, Dorcas Meadows, your neighbors' daughter is my friend from school. She said that if it was okay with you, she might come over for a bit. We were going to listen to the wizard wireless and work on summer essays," Hermione said with an earnestness that would have been perfectly normal for a younger her. His eyes narrowed slightly as though he could see right through her. Then he shook his head and smiled at her.

"Dorcas is a good girl," Mrs. Bones said with a ready smile. "You just make sure that you girls don't stay up too late."

"Of course not, Mrs. Bones," Hermione said sweetly.

The evening began innocently enough. Dorcas and Hermione really did pull out the wizarding wireless and they really did make an honest attempt at their summer essays. The Bones children were sweet, and Dorcas and Hermione played with them until they were worn out, bathed them and tucked them into bed. They even sat down and read Babbity Rabbity and her Cackling Stump to the children. Their little eyes closed and their breathing grew even. Dorcas and Hermione had just stood and grinned at one another. Then all hell broke loose. An explosion rocked the house and Hermione and Dorcas stared at one another in shock. Hermione crept over to the window and peered out.

"Death Eaters," Hermione snapped coldly. Dorcas' eyes widened and fear rippled in her features.

"What can _we _do?" Dorcas whispered. Hermione looked at the three little boys in their beds.

"Protect these boys. They're trying to take down the wards. We need to contact Mr. and Mrs. Bones. Can you try to add your family's wards underneath the Bones' wards?" Hermione asked calmly, her face perfectly serene as she started calculating probabilities. Dorcas nodded, her face pale and set. Hermione flicked her wand and there was bright silvery otter that swam lazily around Hermione and then sat up, watching her patiently. Hermione spoke quickly and urgently, warning the Bones about what was happening and begging them to contact the Aurors. Then Hermione flicked her wand again, and another otter circled her and waited patiently for its message. She spoke tersely and Dorcas turned to stare at her for a moment while Hermione snapped out her second message.

"Hermione," Dorcas whispered, shocked.

"Just get those wards up, fast as you can. I need to do another layer under yours," Hermione said firmly.

In a large stately home near Godric's Hollow, there was a private dinner going on. Those present were all members of a particular group with similar interests and goals although this was not an official meeting of that group. Rather, this evening was a social function, a chance for all of them to gather together and relax for an evening. Included, despite the protest of several people were a group of three young men who sat in a quiet group listenting to the adults. Therefore, everyone was surprised when a sleek otter swam into the formal dining room and headed straight for Mr. and Mrs. Bones.

"Mr. and Mrs. Bones, this is Hermione. Death Eaters are attacking your house. The wards are holding, and Dorcas is helping me reinforce them, but we need help. Please call the Aurors and have them come to your house immediately," Hermione's voice was calm, but slightly strained. The Bones stood immediately, as did the rest of the group present. The three young men had jumped to their feet and they looked at one another worriedly.

"Everyone remain calm," Dumbledore said smoothly, rising to his feet. His eyebrows rose as another otter entered the room swimming swiftly toward him.

"Listen to me, you manipulative arsehole," Hermione's voice was harsher now, and there was a cold tone to it, "the Bones family is under attack and if you don't send the Order, and send them now, I swear to you I will wear your intestines as a hat. If the wards fall, we'll run. Dorcas and I will take the children somewhere safe, and we'll contact you. Don't you dare offer them up on the altar of the Greater Good, or I'll become your worst nightmare."

"Merlin's beard," Remus whispered, his face pale.

"Remus," Sirius muttered quietly, a hand on his arm.

"Where does Dorcas live?" Remus demanded. Sirius and James looked at one another uncertainly.

"I'm not sure," James admitted. Sirius frowned.

"I think Marlene might know," Sirius offered. The three young men looked around the formal dining room. All of the 'adults' were ignoring them.

"Come on," James muttered, and led them to the family's apparition point. The three of them snuck down the street in the dark and knocked sharply on the McKinnon's front door.

"It's rather late, isn't it boys?" Mr. McKinnon asked drily with a raised eyebrow at the three boys standing on his front porch. They all smiled weakly at him.

"It's my sister, sir," Remus pushed to the front, worry shining in his brown eyes. "She's visiting with Dorcas Meadows and I need to speak with her about an, er, family matter. I don't know where Dorcas lives, but Marlene does."

"Your sister?" Mr. McKinnon frowned slightly.

"Hermione Lupin, sir," Remus said anxiously. Mr. Kinnon's face cleared immediately.

"Oh, Hermione," he said with a fond smile. "Come on in, boys. Marlene! You've got guests!"

Marlene bounced down the stairs, her long blond hair pulled back from her face with a wide headband, her blue eyes showing her confusion when she spotted the three Marauders in her family foyer.

"Remus?" She said carefully, frowning at him. He gave her a slightly strained smile and she could tell that he was upset.

"Can you take us to Dorcas' house, now?" Remus said quickly. Marlene's eyes widened.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Please, Marlene," Remus begged. She looked at all of them and bit her lip, but she nodded.

"Yeah, okay," she said quietly. She pulled her wand out and held it firmly as she took them quickly in groups to Dorcas' house. Remus was already running toward the Bones' house. The Dark Mark floated above it making his stomach clench in fear. There were Aurors and Order members all sort of mixed together, milling about and Mr. Bones was speaking quietly to Auror Moody.

"Hermione!" He called desperately. "Hermione!"

"I'm right here," Hermione called, hurrying out of the house. She flew across the lawn and launched herself at her brother. She didn't even mind that he hugged her so tightly she feared her bones might crack. The feel of him, the smell of him, made her feel safe.

"Are you okay?" He asked anxiously, fighting the urge to sniff her all over while others were watching.

"Yeah," she said with a curt nod.

"Hermione!" Marlene grabbed her and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay? Is Dorcas okay? Merlin, you could have been killed!"

"We weren't," Hermione said tightly. "Dorcas is fine, she's talking to an Auror."

"Merlin, Hermione," James said, his face pale and set. She had smiled reassuringly at him, and then had gone back to her brother because she could feel how anxious and twitchy he was about her. Remus' arms had come about her automatically, pulling her tight against his side.

"So what did you do this time?" Marlene demanded, her hands on her hips, her fear for her friend's safety making her voice louder than she'd intended. "Did you open the window and yell 'Oi, Death Eaters—suck it!'"

"Well, not with a house full of kids, Marlene, that would be totally irresponsible," Hermione snapped irritably. "Dorcas and I were minding our own business, doing our summer essays when BOOM! Death Eaters attacked. What were we supposed to do? Let them kill us all?"

"I thought I recognized you," said a harsh voice.

"Oh," Hermione could feel her face turning a brilliant red, and her brother stiffened next to her. "Er, hi there."

"This would be the brother we weren't supposed to contact?" Auror Moody's partner asked with that slight twitch of his lips.

"I really don't think we need to discuss that night," Hermione said faintly. Auror Moody snorted.

"Didn't think we'd find out about the muggle you and the other girl saved?" He asked flatly, glaring at her and daring her to deny it. Hermione made a weak sound of protest. Marlene turned pale and glared at her friend.

"You didn't tell me you ran into Aurors! We need to leave, you said," Marlene was hissing furiously.

"Well, we did," Hermione hissed back.

"Ladies," Moody barked and both girls jumped slightly. "I have questions for both of you."

"You didn't really tell the Death Eaters to, er, suck it…did you?" Moody's partner asked, and she could tell he was trying valiantly not to laugh. Marlene snorted.

"Not exactly," Marlene said flatly, with another glare at her friend, "but close enough."

"Do we have to drag out all of our dirty laundry _now_?" Hermione demanded.

"Hermione, what the hell have you been doing?" Remus demanded furiously. Hermione glared at him.

"I was babysitting," she snapped flatly. "I was minding my own business, watching three little kids and working on my summer essays with Dorcas."

"Regardless, young lady, I would like to speak to you," Moody said flatly. Hermione turned to her brother and put her hands on his face. She looked up into his eyes and he could see that she was trying to communicate something to him. _It will be okay_, her eyes said. _I'll be safe with Moody_. He nodded, once. She smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"Fine," she said with a sigh. "Let's talk."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Morgana's tits, do you have any idea what my life's been like for the past month?" Hermione groused and took a long swallow from her vodka. Marlene gave her a weak smile.

"Er, no?" She said faintly. Hermione glared in her direction.

"I have been on total lockdown," she snapped angrily. "My own brother grounded me! Can brothers even do that?"

"I'm sorry?" Marlene tried again.

"You should be! You threw me under the bus, Marlene! What happened to rule #6?" Hermione demanded. Marlene blushed, as well she should. Rule #6 was to never rat out a fellow girl, especially to brothers and/or fathers.

"I'm sorry," she offered again. Hermione grunted and took another drink of her vodka.

"We're supposed to go back to school next week, and what have I got to show for it," Hermione demanded irritably.

"Erm, a wicked tattoo?" Marlene suggested. Lily started choking on her drink. Gasping, she turned to Marlene and Hermione.

"You got tattoos?" Lily demanded. Hermione and Marlene grinned and lifted their shirts, which earned them several whistles of appreciation from the male bar patrons. Dorcas eyed their tattoos jealously.

"Those look so cool," Dorcas said longingly. Hermione snorted.

"Tell you what, Dorcas," Hermione said fondly. "We live through our last year at Hogwarts, all four of us will get matching tattoos next summer."

"It's a deal," Dorcas said with a grin. Lily squeaked and Hermione smirked at her.

"Remus'll love it," she said confidently. "It'll make you seem all mysterious and badass. He won't be able to keep his hands off you."

"Oh," Lily's eyes had gone wide and she blushed from the top of her head down passed her neckline. "Okay then."

"The worst part, though," Hermione said with a growl and a roll of her eyes, "was James and Sirius. They stood there nodding and _agreeing_ with my damn brother. Do you know what it's like to have the damn _Marauders_ try to give you a dressing down? Hello, pot anyone?"

"That's ridiculous," Lily burst out, angry on Hermione's behalf. "They've gotten loads of detentions for doing all kinds of really dangerous and illegal stuff. How dare they try to give you a dressing down!"

"I know, right?" Hermione agreed angrily.

"Hey," a deep, masculine voice said lazily from behind them. Marlene glanced over and smirked. It was that boy that Hermione insisted on calling Colin, even though his name was Bill. She said she couldn't snog Bill, but she could definitely snog Colin. Bill-Colin didn't seem to care as long as Hermione was snogging him.

"Colin!" Hermione said happily. She flew into his arms and gave him an exuberant welcome. Then she looked over her shoulder and grinned at her friends. "I'll be back in just a bit. I've got to make up for a month, you know."

"Rule #21," Dorcas and Marlene called out in a chorus. Hermione gave them a thumbs up behind Colin's back.

"What's rule #21, again," Lily said with a slight frown of confusion. Marlene and Dorcas smirked at one another for a moment.

"We'll tell you when you're older," Dorcas said with a wicked smile.

"That is so unfair!" Lily said with a dark frown.

"Tut, tut," Marlene teased her friend lightly.

Later that night the four girls were walking along the streets, laughing and talking about going back to school. Hermione and Marlene were laughing at something that Lily had said when it struck her suddenly. Marlene was another piece that she didn't realize she'd been missing until she had come back and met her. If she were younger, she might have confused her feelings for Marlene. She was definitely a kindred spirit. Hell, if Hermione weren't so hung up on stupid Sirius and stupid James, she might be willing to try something with Marlene, but she was fully willing to admit that that might not work well. She had a hard enough time trying to be a responsible lover to one person. Two was pushing her ability to communicate clearly and three was probably over her limit. That and she had all kinds of issues. Her last boyfriend had been willing to list them in excruciating detail, which was probably why she'd limited herself to random groping in dark bars for a while now. In fact, she wasn't quite sure what to do with herself. Maybe Abraxas Malfoy would be willing to have some sort of illicit affair with her. He certainly wouldn't expect anything from her. Merlin knew he was sexy as hell and wickedly, sinfully attractive.

"Hermione?" Lily asked uncertainly. Hermione smiled confidently at her and the redhead smiled back.

Lily Evans was entire other category that Hermione tried not to examine too closely. At times, she panicked that perhaps she'd meddled a little too much, but at other times she would point out to herself that Remus and Lily really did like each other, and they _had_ liked each other. It must have been that…before…neither of them had been willing to put themselves forward. They'd kept their mouths shut, and neither of them had ever known that the other was interested. When Hermione thought about it, it just made her sad. It probably hadn't helped that Remus had been wrapped up in trying to find his sister. Poor, stupid, noble slob, she thought fondly. She loved her brother deeply, but he could be such an idiot, especially when it came to women. The two had dated all summer and Hermione started to wonder if perhaps they'd get married once they graduated. She had a sneaking suspicion that it might be necessary to smack her brother upside the head when it came to that.

"Hey, you girls want to check out a night club? It seems way too early to call it a night," Dorcas begged shamelessly. They all grinned at one another and quickly agreed.

This summer had been fun. Hermione had done things that she never would have done in a million years, and she loved every minute of it. Marlene and Dorcas both egged on her inner devil, and she had ended up shocking even herself. Her Colin Firth look-alike had been amusing, but he'd been just a summer thing. She needed to spend the next year focusing on important things, she decided. Things like taking down Voldemort. If she were honest with herself, she was nervous about that. Harry had died trying to take down Voldemort. Who was to say that she'd be any better at it? She did have the whole element of surprise thing working in her favor. She hoped that would be enough.


	6. A Thin Veneer

_A/N: The bane of all authors—the guest reviewer. You'd love to address their concerns, but it's hard since there is no way to contact that person other than in a public forum, which sort of detracts from the story flow. The only thing I can recommend is that if you have a concern, please sign in and I'd be happy to discuss it outside of the story. _

_In addition, you __**have**__ read the warnings, right? I find it hard to understand when people complain because the storyline includes everything I made sure to disclose in the warnings. I warned you. I specifically warned you. _

_/\/\/\/\/\_

_Fall, 1977_

"Colin! What are you doing here?" Hermione squeaked in surprise. He smiled in that lazy way that made her bones melt.

"You said you were going back to school. I thought I'd come say good-bye," he said with a shrug. Hermione tried to think quickly. She needed to ditch Colin as soon as possible because there was no way that she could sneak onto platform 9 ¾ without him noticing that something wasn't quite normal.

"Oh! That is very sweet, but I was supposed to meet some friends," Hermione said faintly. That _was_ true, she was supposed to meet her friends…on platform 9 ¾.

"Come on, love, give us a kiss," he said with that teasing lop-sided smile that got her every time. She sighed but she leaned into his arms and kissed him. Kissing with Colin always worked its way into a full-on snogging session. Soon he had his hands wound in her curls and her arms were around his neck and he was nibbling on her neck. A very loud, very angry throat-clearing made Hermione jump in surprise and made Colin bite down a bit harder than he'd meant to, which made Hermione yelp in pain and turn to glare at her brother.

"Ow! Remus, what the hell," Hermione snapped, one hand on her neck, trying to soothe the pain of Colin's bite. He was glaring malevolently at Colin.

"Go get on the train, Hermione," Remus growled. Hermione frowned at him.

"No," she said flatly. The growl intensified, and her eyes widened in surprise.

"Whose this then?" Colin asked flatly, frowning at Hermione. She gave him a weak smile.

"This is my brother, Remus," Hermione explained, shooting him another glare.

"And you are?" Remus snapped, his eyes shifting to amber. Hermione sighed in irritation.

"Bill," Colin said with a lazy smile directed at Hermione, "but she likes to call me Colin."

"Right, Bill, pleasure to meet you and all that," Remus growled, making it evident that it was not a pleasure at all. "Hermione, go get on the train, now."

"But, Remus," Hermione tried to argue and he growled again. Her eyes widened. She knew when it was dangerous to push him. "Fine."

"Now, Bill, let's chat you and I," Remus said menacingly.

Bill smiled. He was tall, 6'2" and he worked hard for a living. He knew that he was able to hold his own in street fights and bar brawls. This Remus, who was Hermione's brother, was slender and appeared to look slightly ill. He had no worries about being able to take him. Remus moved more quickly than Bill would have credited was possible and his fist connected with Bill's jaw solidly. Bill shook his head slightly and swung an arm for his own punch. The next few moments had them scuffling and the only sound was that of flesh connecting solidly with flesh. Remus managed to surprise Bill by getting his hand around Bill's throat and holding him against the wall.

"Look," Bill wheezed. Remus' hand tightened.

"You ever come anywhere near my sister again, and I'll kill you," Remus growled furiously. Bill nodded and Remus released him. He looked around self-consciously and removed the notice-me-not charm from Bill and himself. Then he grabbed his things and hurried toward the barrier.

"Remus!" James came up and clapped him on the shoulder.

"Where's Hermione?" Sirius asked eagerly, looking up and down the platform. James glanced at him and started slightly.

"What happened to your face?" James asked in surprise. Remus flinched.

"Bollocks," he muttered. "Have you got a mirror?"

"Here," Sirius handed one over easily and Remus peered at his face. He had a bruise on his cheekbone, a blackening eye and a split lip.

"Fuck," he swore under his breath. James and Sirius' brows rose. Remus was usually so mild-mannered and controlled. Having Hermione had changed that a bit, but still. "She's going to kill me."

"Who's going to kill you?" Lily Evans asked tartly, one dark red brow raised in inquiry. She gasped in shock an grabbed his face in her hands. He winced slightly, but let his girlfriend manhandle him. "What did you _do_?"

"There was some bloke named Bill-," Remus grumbled and Lily's eyes widened in shock.

"_Colin_ did this to you?" Lily demanded, incensed on his behalf. Remus frowned at her.

"How do you know about him?" Remus snapped. Lily shrugged.

"Why shouldn't I know about him? Hermione dated him all summer long," Lily said airily. "Oh, but she's going to be furious when she sees what he's done to you."

"Who the hell is Colin?" James asked irritably. Sirius was scowling.

"Hey, Lily, have you seen Dorcas or Hermione?" Marlene came up to them, her thick, blond hair pulled back into a braid. Lily turned to her friend, visibly upset.

"Marlene! Look at what Colin's done to Remus!" Lily declared, her features set in angry lines. Marlene blinked at Remus' face and then she frowned.

"Colin wouldn't…," she trailed off hesitantly and frowned a little more. She looked at Lily and bit her lip. "Rule #7, Lily. I'm going to go find Hermione."

"What's rule #7?" Sirius asked Lily curiously. She flushed and stared at her shoes. Rule #7 was complex. It basically boiled down to 'there's more than one side to every story.' Marlene was right. She was only hearing Remus' side. He was her boyfriend, but he was also the overprotective brother of her friend.

"I have to go," she muttered. She kissed Remus on the cheek, gave him a tentative smile and fled.

"They're up to something," James said with a frown. "I don't know if I like that. We're the one who're supposed to be up to things."

"That's right, we're the Marauders," Sirius said with an arrogant toss of his hair.

/\/\/\/\/\

The dark bruise on Hermione's throat drew Sirius' gaze more than once. He realized to his shame that he was staring at her throat when James had elbowed him and gave him a look. They'd both thought about her this summer and they'd been a little disappointed with the severe lack of Hermione in their summer. Both of them had been absolutely horrified with the idea of her risking her life with Death Eaters, and had backed Remus' panicked diatribe completely. The look on Hermione's face had hinted that perhaps that had been a bad move on their part. That was later confirmed when they went to visit Lily with Remus and the redhead had read all three of them the riot act. Sirius had to admit that Lily and Hermione had a point. The idea that the Marauders might be lecturing _anybody_ about what was right and proper was almost laughable. His only defense was that the idea of Hermione in danger frightened the hell out of him. He liked her—really, really liked her—and the idea of Death Eaters getting ahold of her made him ill.

"How was your summer, Peter?" Hermione asked politely. Hermione was livid with them, and had made it a point to ignore all of them except Peter. She was absolutely furious with Remus, which made him miserable. She was slightly cool to the fourth Marauder, but at least she was speaking to him.

"Oh, er, well, it was quiet," Peter said anxiously, not sure what he was supposed to be doing. Should he refuse to answer because he was a Marauder, too? Or should he answer because she was Remus' sister and a nice girl? The confusion on his face was clear.

"Really?" Hermione said, watching him now with a slight frown. "Peter, how are your parents?"

"They…they're all right," he murmured faintly. She frowned a bit more, and seemed slightly distracted.

"Marlene, how was your summer?" asked Helen Flatt curiously, oblivious to the tension between the four Gryffindor girls and the Marauders. Marlene laughed and tossed her blond hair over her shoulder in a gesture that drew admiring glances from quite a few boys.

"Summer was brilliant," Marlene said with a grin. "Spent most of it with Hermione, Dorcas and Lily. We had a blast."

"Is it true that you and Hermione got matching tattoos?" A fourth year girl asked with hero worship in her eyes. Marlene and Hermione exchanged a look and frowned at the fourth year girl.

"Where did you hear that?" Marlene asked sharply. The fourth year girl flushed and looked down at her lap.

"What a ridiculous bit of tosh," Hermione said with a snort. The others looked at one another and then looked at her.

"So you don't have a tattoo?" Another girl asked curiously. Hermione's lips tightened.

"You do!" A pretty Sixth Year named Verity Spellman said with a grin.

"That's neither here nor there," Hermione said with a sanctimonious air. She stood abruptly and grabbed her bag. "Come on, Marlene."

"What sort of tattoo was it?" Verity Spellman asked Helen Flatt.

"I heard that it was on their hips and it's a lion," Helen said knowledgeably. Sirius' mind went blank at the thought of a lion frolicking on Hermione's hip. That only made him think about Hermione's hips, which made his mouth go dry. He saw James lick his lips and watched his hazel eyes glaze over and knew he was thinking the same thing.

"So how do we do this without dying?" James asked Sirius when they were alone in their dorm.

"Do what?" Sirius asked with a slight frown, looking up from a complex charm he'd been fiddling with for a prank.

"See that tattoo," James said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Oh, yeah," Sirius said, his mind drifting to lions and Hermione's sun-kissed skin. The fantasy was rudely interrupted by an image of an angry Remus choking him to death over James' lifeless body. "Without dying? That would be the key point, wouldn't it?"

"If Remus catches us sneaking into the girls' bathroom, we may as well write out wills now," James said with a heavy sigh.

"What about a prank?" Sirius suggested thoughtfully. James frowned.

"We'd have to be very careful, couldn't single her out, couldn't involve the ickle sprogs…hmm, I think we're going to have to sneak into the library and do some research," James said after a moment. Sirius snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Why can't we do what we normally do?" Sirius insisted without thinking. James and Sirius didn't like to be seen in the library, it detracted from their reputations, so they normally figured out different ways to get books out of the library and to them. James smacked him upside the head.

"Oh, yes, I can see it now—hey, Remus, would you be willing to check these books out for us, what are they for? We want to see your sister without clothes on, that won't be a problem, will it?—honestly, Sirius have you lost your mind?" James snapped irritably. Sirius flushed and smacked James on the arm.

"Okay, so, a different plan then," Sirius said slowly, thinking.

/\/\/\/\/\

Their last year of school seemed to be flying by faster than it ought to, in Hermione's opinion, and she was startled when she realized it was almost winter. She and Remus were going to stay at the castle this year for the holiday. Both of them felt as though they were imposing on the two kind families who had taken each of them in, and they didn't want to put anyone out. That and Remus and Hermione really wanted to spend some time together, alone. They kept the fact that they were staying over a secret from their friends because they knew that the Marauders would feel bad for Remus and the girls would feel bad for Hermione. There was also the little matter of her conflicting feelings about James and Sirius. Hermione didn't know what to do with how she felt, and she certainly didn't want to interfere with what appeared to be a loving relationship. James and Sirius were so perfect for each other that she wondered how she'd never suspected the truth. Then again, Sirius Black had been a man who was obviously grieving and broken. She'd just assumed that the root cause was a bit different.

"Hermione," Remus' voice was quiet and gentle, and Hermione looked up from her book. "Dumbledore wants to see us."

"Very well," Hermione said with a sigh. She followed her brother up to the headmaster's office and slid into one of the seats in front of his desk. She blinked in surprise. The man in front of her seemed to be watching her with genuine regret. She eyed him warily.

"You asked to see us, sir?" Remus said with a polite coolness. Dumbledore stared at his hands for a moment and then looked at them.

"I have made mistakes," he admitted quietly. He snuck another glance at Hermione. "Perhaps too many, but please believe that I did so out of the belief that I was helping you, Hermione, and your parents. They were so afraid for you. Your mother was making herself ill with worry and your father was struggling to deal with Remus' condition, your mother's illness and trying to protect you. Maybe they were mistaken in their choices, but they loved you. I am sorry for whatever part I have played in this and I only hope that one day you might forgive me."

"Thank you, sir," Remus said with that same cool politeness.

"You said," Dumbledore paused and cleared his throat carefully. "You said that many more died than was necessary. What can I do to fix that? How can stop all of that from happening?"

"Are you sincere?" Hermione asked quietly. Dumbledore looked at his hands again and then nodded. When he looked at them, Hermione could see sadness and regret shining in his blue eyes. She thought for several moments. It might be that Dumbledore was genuinely sorry, and wanted to make amends.

"I am more sorry than I am able to convey," Dumbledore said quietly. He paused again, considering his words. "I sense a need in you to claim vengeance again Voldemort. I understand that he has stolen a lot from you-,"

"He took _everything_ from me," Hermione whispered brokenly. She took Remus' hand in hers and gave him a watery smile. "I had a…a friend. He was like a brother to me. Voldemort murdered him. I lost all of my friends, all of those I considered family. I lost everything."

"I thought as much," Dumbledore said with a quiet regret. "Your behavior has been, er, erratic at times and it reminded me of…me."

"After Ariana," Hermione whispered. Dumbledore nodded, his eyes squeezing shut briefly.

"We all deal with grief in different ways. You have a lot of anger, Miss Lupin. It would be a shame if you let it rule you," Dumbledore said quietly. Remus' hand tightened on hers. Dumbledore gave her a rueful half smile. "Few know about her, you know. Even though we were a prominent pureblood family, we were able to conceal her and the truth about her."

"We needed information and we uncovered more than we'd meant to," Hermione said quietly. He nodded. The Dumbledore before seemed smaller somehow. His regret, his sadness, his guilt seemed to have made him seem not quite so super-hero like and more like a human being. Hermione found herself wanting to trust him, needing to be able to put her faith in something…in anything. It had been a long time since she'd felt as though she could believe in anyone aside from Remus.

"Did you find it?" Dumbledore asked gently. Hermione frowned slightly.

"Yes, but," she faltered. "It was not enough information. It wasn't fast enough."

"Will you share any of it with me?" Dumbledore asked with genuine humility. Hermione looked at Remus and he squeezed her hand encouragingly.

"It's your choice, love, but you don't have to do this alone. I'll help you however I can," Remus said softly, his thumb stroking across her knuckles. The unconditional love in those brown eyes was her undoing. Her breath caught on a shuddering sob and she fought for control, blinking rapidly and breathing through her nose. They gave her the space to get her emotions under control, Remus' hand in hers, and she managed to calm down.

"Very well," she said in a strained voice, and she told them all about Voldemort's Horcruxes, what they did, where they had been, and what they knew about destroying them. Dumbledore became very still and he looked even more humble. Hermione had been very careful. She hadn't mentioned anything about Harry or anyone else. It still hurt too much to talk about them.

"It does not seem fair that you should be the one to do all of that by yourself," Dumbledore said hesitantly, his blue eyes watching her.

Hermione stared at her lap. She hadn't been alone, she wanted to protest, but that protest died on her lips. In the end, it still hadn't been enough. If Harry, the Chosen One, couldn't overcome the odds, how could she? He had kept insisting that they needed to be the ones to do it, that it must be kept secret, but looking back she wondered if they had had help maybe he would still be alive. She snuck a guilty look at her brother. If Harry had been alive, she might never have come home, never returned to Remus—who really was her brother. Guilt swamped her, choking her. Either choice meant she would have had to turn her back on someone. How could she turn her back on Harry? How could she turn her back on Remus, her brother? Maybe it had been for the best that she had had nothing and no one to let down.

"I think…you had friends, right, Hermione?" Remus pressed gently, his hand tightening slightly on hers. She nodded, staring at her lap. "They…they were all killed though."

"Yes," she whispered through numb lips, a thousand images flashing behind her eyes. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Neville, Luna…oh, Luna…another choked sob rose in her throat as the images flipped faster and faster.

Coming here had changed everything. She supposed if she were a selfish, heartless bitch she could have forced James and Lily into a relationship that neither one had truly wanted just so that she could have Harry. She didn't think that either Sirius or Remus ever truly recovered from losing James and Lily because they'd never entered into serious relationships until Remus married Tonks, and that was after he'd lost Sirius—his last link to the past. She knew from Remus' journal that he'd liked and respected Tonks, but he hadn't loved her—not the wild, crazy, all-consuming sort of love that he'd wanted. He had written that the time for that was long passed, and it was only when she had come here and seen him with her own eyes that she had known what he meant. He had meant Lily. Then there was James and Sirius. Their passion for one another was unbounded. It embarrassed Hermione sometimes to watch them interact because it seemed so private and intimate, and yet she couldn't look away. When James had died, Sirius had gone mad with grief and he'd never fully healed from the pain of that loss. She loved Harry so much, but did that give her the right to destroy four separate people's lives? She didn't really think so.

"All of them?" Dumbledore asked quietly. Hermione closed her eyes and silent tears ran down her cheeks, dripping on her and Remus' joined hands. She nodded. He cleared his throat, and Hermione's wary glance at him made her look closer. His eyes appeared to shine with unshed tears. The sight of Dumbledore, consumed with remorse, went a long way to helping her heal enough to try and trust him. "I think that the Order can help recover these Horcruxes and destroy them. Once they are destroyed, then Voldemort will be mortal again."

"That was the working theory, sir," Hermione said quietly.

"You have given me much to think about, Miss Lupin. I thank you for sharing this information with me. I swear to you that we will keep you abreast of our progress," Dumbledore said solemnly. Hermione recognized this for the dismissal it was. She rose stiffly and nodded politely.

"Come on, love," Remus said quietly, his arm around her. She walked slowly back to the Gryffindor tower and moved passed everyone to mount the stairs to the girls' dormitory. She didn't see Sirius and James' eyes following her progress and she ignored the girls who tried to check on her. She fell into a fitful sleep, filled with dreams.

_It was the Forest of Dean and they were alone. She couldn't look at him, ashamed to see those green eyes looking at her with anger and betrayal. He moved around the tent, doing little things before he sighed heavily and walked over to her. She stared at his shoes. He put two fingers under her chin and forced her to look at him. His green eyes were filled with love and a hint of exasperation. _

_"What are you doing?" He asked, his voice amused. She felt herself blush and hated herself for it. _

_"I'm so sorry, Harry," she whispered, tears falling unheeded. He sighed again and cupped her face gently. _

_"What have you done now?" He asked, the amusement thicker in his voice. _

_"Well, I, er, I sort of set your mum up with my brother," she said in a small voice. _

_"I've always loved Remus," Harry said fondly, his thumbs brushing away her tears. "He would treat my mum well, I bet."_

_"But, but if they get together, you'll never be born, will you?" Hermione said through a voice thick with tears. To her everlasting embarrassment, he laughed at her and kissed her on the nose. _

_"Who says?" He asked drily. Hermione bit her lip. _

_"Well, no one. I haven't told anyone about you because I…well, it's hard for me to talk about you. I miss you," she whispered. _

_"I knew about my dad, er, James and Sirius," Harry said quietly, a small smile playing about his lips. "I found Sirius' diary hidden in his room. Pretty racy stuff in there, let me tell you."_

_"I can only imagine," Hermione said a little stiffly. Harry laughed at her. He looked over her shoulder for a moment and then focused on her again. _

_"You've been doing some very un-Hermione-like things lately," he said, his lips twitching slightly. "Drinking? Going out dancing? I thought Ron and Draco were both going to stroke when you flirted with Abraxas Malfoy. Did you do that on purpose?"_

_"I'm sorry," she said in a very small voice. He snorted at her and shook his head at her. _

_"Oh, love, if you weren't so angry, if you weren't in so much pain, I'd think it was hilarious. You've been pretty reckless, interacting with Death Eaters the way you have. You've scared me a couple of times, Mione," Harry said gently, frowning slightly and looking somewhat stern. "You can't risk yourself like that. I won't have it."_

_"What would you have me do?" Hermione asked tartly, her hands on her hips. He grinned at her then. He hauled her up into his arms and hugged her tightly. _

_"I want you to live, Hermione," he whispered into her hair. "Please, for me."_

_"But," she could feel the tears clogging her throat, making it difficult for her to breathe. He pulled back and gave her another stern look. _

_"And keep an eye out for James and Sirius. I think they like you," he said with a slightly pained expression. _

_"But," Hermione tried again. He stepped back from her and his hair morphed from messy, black and spikey to a sandy brown that hung over his brilliant green eyes. He tossed his hair back with a practiced flip._

_"Are you saying you wouldn't love me like this?" Harry asked gently. She stared at him for a moment._

_"Merlin's beard, Harry," she whispered, reaching out to touch his hair and then pulling back uncertainly. He grinned even wider. _

_"Come on then, it's still me, isn't it?" He asked, crossing his over his chest. He didn't look quite the same anymore. His face wasn't a carbon copy of James', but it was still undoubtedly Harry. She would have recognized him immediately. _

_"It is," she agreed, faintly, her brown eyes wide with shock. _

_"What is meant to be, will be, love," he said gently. "Don't worry about it all so much. The fate of the world was never meant to be in your dainty hands, not that you're not capable. I believe that you could do anything, Hermione, rest assured, but I don't want you to have to do this when there are others who can and will help you." _

_"I spoke to Dumbledore," she admitted quietly. He nodded, looking thoughtful. _

_"That was smart of you," he said carefully. "He seems genuinely remorseful. Let him help you, if he will."_

_"You want me to…to live?" She asked uncertainly, frowning slightly. He smirked at her and she frowned at him even more. _

_"I want you to be happy, Mione. Even if it is with my prat of a dad and my prat of a godfather," Harry said, looking uncomfortable. She blinked in surprise. _

_"You make a funny face every time you mention it," she said anxiously. He rolled his eyes. _

_"That's because it's you, love. I want you to be happy, I just don't want either one of them to hurt you, and let's face it, my dad was a bit of a wanker at this point in his life. So was Sirius if we're going to be honest," Harry said with a brutal truthfulness. _

_"I never even thought about…the both of them?" Hermione asked hesitantly. Harry looked pained again. _

_"Hermione, I'm not trying to step on Remus' toes or anything, but you have always been the beloved sister of my heart. Please don't make me convince you to shack up with James and Sirius. It's just too weird for me," Harry said faintly. _

_"I'm not asking you to convince me. I'm just asking if that's possible," Hermione said huffily, indignation coming through clearly. _

_"Oh for Merlin's sake, Potter," a dry sarcastic voice drawled imperiously. Hermione whirled, her eyes wide with shock. _

_"Draco?" She whispered. He gave her a cocky smile. _

_"Miss me, love?" He purred at her. She flushed and glared at him. _

_"Not at all," she sniffed. Draco snorted. _

_"Liar," he said fondly. "Anyway, Potter here wouldn't know what was possible if he had a chart and graphs unless you were there to translate them for him."_

_"Malfoy," Harry snapped, glaring at Draco. "Hurry it up, we don't have forever."_

_"Time is relative," Draco said with an aristocratic shrug. Then he looked at Hermione and smiled. "It is possible from a purely physical standpoint. I could demonstrate if you'd like. No? Well, you can't say I didn't try to help out. Is it legal? You always were a little stickler for the rules. Not an insult, love, just the truth. It is legal. Unusual, maybe, but perfectly legal. True triads are rare things."_

_"Is that what it is?" Hermione asked nervously, her brow furrowing. Harry and Draco exchanged a glance and shrugged helplessly. _

_"We can't really say," Harry said hesitantly. Draco snorted again. _

_"He means we're not allowed," Draco said with a disgusted look. Hermione bit her lip anxiously and Draco's eyes flared. He took a step toward her and Harry cleared his throat loudly. _

_"We have to go, love," Harry said gently, his green eyes gentle and loving. _

She woke up, gasping for air and trembling. She stumbled out of her bed and snuck up to the boy's dormitory. Remus was almost instantly awake and he sat up in bed and opened his arms to her. She closed his curtains, and did a silencing charm. Then she curled up in his arms and cried. She sobbed until her eyes were so swollen that she couldn't see and her nose was so red and raw it ached and her throat was raspy. Remus just held her and stroked her hair, rocking her slightly in the dark. She noticed at some point that he was singing softly under his breath to her, and she started to shake again when she realized that she recognized the song, but that it wasn't one the Grangers had ever sung to her; they had never been the lullaby type. She listened to him sing softly and relaxed against him as he stroked her hair gently.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Hermione seems sort of down," James suggested quietly, sneaking a look at Remus. He was his normal, quiet self, hidden behind a book. He may not have even heard them if his lack of response was anything to go by.

"Yeah," Peter agreed cautiously. "Really down."

"Is there something you want to ask me, James?" Remus asked drily from behind his book.

"Is she okay?" James asked carefully. Remus put the book down and frowned slightly.

"No, I don't think she is," he said at last. "I think she will be, eventually, but she isn't right now."

"Is there anything we can do?" Sirius asked quietly. Remus rubbed absently at his forehead.

"No," Remus said after a moment. "Give her space, let her deal with this in her own way. She's got the girls, and they all seem to like her well enough."

"Yeah," James said cautiously. "They all seem to have gotten close really fast."

"It has been over a year since she came home, James," Remus said drily and picked up his book again. "Lily and Dorcas weren't too sure about her in the beginning. She and Marlene are the ones that really hit it off well."

"Dorcas and Lily seem to like her now," Peter said hesitantly. Remus snorted from behind his book.

"Lily finds Hermione unsettling," he said absently. "Hermione feels the same way. She said that she used to be almost exactly like Lily, and that it's a little creepy to watch herself, or something like that. She told Lily that she was a little too uptight and she needed to unwind a bit. I won't tell you what Lily said, but Hermione didn't appreciate it."

"Well, Lily could unwind a bit," Sirius said as diplomatically as he could. James snickered, and Sirius smacked him on the arm. "I was trying to be mature, Prongs."

"Could have fooled me, Padfoot," James said with a snort and a roll of his eyes. Sirius glared at him.

"So what are you all doing for Christmas?" Peter asked in his nervous way. James and Sirius shrugged.

"The usual," James said easily and ran a hand through his hair, making it look even messier than usual. Sirius frowned slightly at Peter.

"Are you sure you can't come for Christmas?" He wheedled. Peter flushed and looked pleased that they wanted him.

"I can't," he said hesitantly. "Mother is expecting me."

"I think you should go to Potter Manor, Peter," Hermione said with quiet conviction. Peter jumped in his seat and turned to stare at Hermione with watery eyes. She was watching him with unblinking eyes, her body unnaturally still.

"But, I can't," he said weakly, staring at her like a mouse caught in a trap. She smiled and it was positively wolfish.

"Yes, Peter, you can. Choose James and Sirius and Remus," she said slowly, and her voice sounded almost hypnotic. She continued to stare at Peter. "Choose your friends."

"I," he faltered, his face becoming pale and his nose twitching.

"Your mother is safe," she said quietly, her eyes watching him as though he were prey. "She has been checked into a secure ward at St. Mungo's. They believe that with a little rest, she'll be fine."

"A secure ward?" He echoed in a squeaky voice.

"Yes, I overheard Dumbledore telling McGonagall. She's sent me to come get you," Hermione said calmly. "Remember Peter, it's never too late to choose."

"That sounds very mystical, Hermione," James said curiously. "Where did you hear that?"

"Led Zeppelin," Hermione said with a slight smirk. "They have a song called Stairway to Heaven, and one of the verses says 'yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run there's still time to change the road you're on'. It's true though, Peter. You still have time to choose, but you'd best hurry to Dumbledore's office, right now."

"Right," Peter said uncertainly, getting to his feet.

"Do want to join us, Hermione?" Sirius asked hopefully. Hermione flushed slightly and looked at her brother.

"I can't," she said faintly. "I have to finish my essay for Transfiguration."

"You already finished your essay for Transfiguration," James said flatly. Hermione bit her lip and looked nervous.

"I suppose," she said faintly, and she sat down gingerly in the chair that Peter had just vacated. James and Sirius looked at one another and then looked at her. At that moment, Lily came down the stairs and smiled at Remus.

"It's time to patrol," she said cheerfully. Hermione's gaze flicked to the Head Girl badge on her chest and she smiled fondly. The redhead had definitely earned her place. James usually tried to avoid wearing his badge unless he absolutely had to, but Lily took a certain pride in her accomplishments. Remus set down his book and rose to his feet. While he was not Head Boy, he was still a prefect and still had patrol duty. He and Lily gave the three of them slight waves and then they were headed out the portrait and into the castle.

"Hermione, have we done something to upset you?" James asked anxiously, his hazel eyes fixed on her face. Hermione stared at him for a moment and shook her head helplessly.

"No," she said quietly. Sirius moved restlessly next to him.

"Why are you avoiding us then," he demanded, his grey eyes accusing. Hermione twisted her hands in her lap.

"I haven't been avoiding you," she said faintly. James made a noise of protest.

"You have though," Sirius said staunchly. He paused and looked uncertain. "We like you, you know."

"We do," James affirmed softly, his hazel eyes vulnerable. Hermione's heart contracted in her chest and her features tightened.

"I can't do this," she whispered, her eyes wide with distress. James and Sirius frowned and looked at one another.

"Can't do what?" James asked carefully. Hermione was trembling slightly, her hands shaking.

"It hurts too much," she whispered.

"I think I'm lost," Sirius admitted, looking confused. Hermione looked at her hands for a minute.

"Where I was…has Remus said anything?" Hermione asked hesitantly. James and Sirius exchanged a glance.

"A bit, but not really. He said you hadn't shared a lot with him, but he could tell that it had been bad," James offered. Hermione nodded, still looking at her hands.

"All of my friends were killed, well, murdered really," Hermione said haltingly. "Everyone I knew and cared about was gone. It's one of the reasons that I came back here. Well, after I found out the truth."

"I'm sorry," Sirius said quietly and James murmured something soothing.

"I, um, I love Remus, but I'm having a hard time opening up to relationships with other people," Hermione said quietly, refusing to look at them.

"You're friends with Marlene," James pointed out. Hermione's lips twisted.

"Marlene's great," she admitted.

"We could be like Marlene," Sirius said quietly. "Just, you know, blokes."

"Yes, I had noticed that," Hermione said with a slight chuckle.

"You have, have you?" James asked with a waggle of his eyebrows. Hermione laughed and shook her head at him.

"You two are incorrigible," she said with a smile.

"I love it when you talk like that," Sirius said with a small smile. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"So?" James asked impatiently. "Will you give us a chance? Let us show you that we can be there for you, however you need us."

"Under certain conditions," Hermione said cautiously. James and Sirius made 'hurry up' gestures at her. "You can't get mad or angry with me if I…if I shut down."

"What does that mean?" James asked with a frown. "It doesn't sound good."

"Er, if I become quiet and withdrawn. If I start to cry and hide in my dorm, things like that," Hermione said slowly. James and Sirius looked at one another.

"Sirius does that sometimes," James admitted quietly after a glance around the common room to make sure they were alone.

"I don't cry," Sirius snapped irritably. James touched his knee reassuringly.

"No, but you get sullen and moody," he said firmly. Sirius shrugged and looked sulky.

"Right, so if you want the real me, you basically have to deal with two Siriuses, except that one of them doesn't worry about his hair all the time and doesn't shag everything in sight," Hermione said drily. James chuckled and Sirius looked irritated, but he couldn't argue with her when it was mostly true.

"If you all are going to pick on me, I'm going to bed," Sirius grumbled, glaring at the both of them. Hermione grinned at him and James touched his back briefly so that he looked slightly mollified.

"I am going to bed," Hermione said, and suddenly she looked very tired. She stood up to leave and they stood up as well. Each young man gave her a brief, slightly awkward hug which she seemed to endure rather than enjoy. She looked at each of them and there was a delicate vulnerability to her face that touched them both. "I'll try. That's the best I can do."

Both men hoped that that would be enough.


	7. Christmas Break

_A/N: I'm assuming that you're actually reading this because this is where all the top secret information is. _

_**Fun Facts about the UK**__: It would be silly to think that everyone reading this knows every last little legal fact about the UK. I know some of you may actually live in the UK, you already know all this and right now you're rolling your eyes wondering why we have to sit around and talk about it. [It's because I get people who become extremely upset and self-righteous because they don't know British Law.]_

_Drinking: Europe in general has a completely different view of alcohol than the US. Children in the UK are allowed to drink in the home with their parents as long as they're older than 5. (HP Example: In the beginning of HBP, when Dumbledore visits the Dursleys and offers them alcohol Harry drinks: "__**Madam Rosmertas finest oak-matured mead," said Dumbledore, raising his glass to Harry, who caught hold of his own and sipped."**__ At that time, Harry had not yet turned 16. He was still 15. And if you weren't aware mead is an alcoholic drink made from honey that can vary in alcoholic content from 8% to 18%.)__ The legal drinking age is 18 and children become legal adults at 18 as well. Now as a group of practical people, we are going to acknowledge the reality of 16-17 year-olds purchasing alcohol (and the markets responsible getting fined)._

_Clubbing: 18 year-old adults in the UK go clubbing all the time. Again, the reality is that 16-17 year-olds sneak into clubs on a regular basis. _

_**Fun Facts about Wizarding UK**__: Legal age in the wizarding world is, as we all know, 17. This is when you get your Apparition License, it's legal for you to buy Ogden's firewhiskey, and legal for you to sit in wizarding restaurants and drink wine with your dinner. _

_**Fun Facts about Magic**__: The confundus charm is not considered particularly difficult (as opposed to the Patronus Charm or the Protean Charm, which are commented on as being hard to master, even for adults). I would imagine that seventh year NEWT students would be perfectly capable of casting a confundus charm on a muggle bartender, and NOT feeling overly bad about it because in the wizarding world they ARE legal. _

_**General Housekeeping**__: Everyone is now 17 at least. They would all be perfectly legal to troop to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade and get thoroughly pissed (drunk) on firewhiskey. Most people probably wouldn't because it would be tacky and lacking in class, but there you are._

_/\/\/\/\/\_

_Christmas, 1977_

Hermione sat curled up in one of the chairs near the Gryffindor common room's fire. She was reading and chewing absently on her lower lip. Remus was leaning against her, reading as well. The last few days had been idyllic for Hermione, reminding her what it was like to have family. The two of them had spent hours talking, relaxing, being ridiculous and silly. They had had a fun morning tweaking a prank that Remus wanted to use to welcome his fellow Marauders back to school after the Christmas hols. He had been very impressed with her creativity when it came to pranking and her abilities with runes, charms, and transfiguration. He had to admit that his 'baby sister' was a frighteningly intelligent witch. The part that he kept coming back to and picking at like a scab was what had happened to her. She'd been through so much, she'd been forced to grow up far too fast and it bothered him greatly. He sat up abruptly and set down his book.

"You know what?" Remus asked, looking at her. She peered at him over the top of her book. He gently took it out of her hands and slipped a bookmark in to hold her place. She was watching him warily. "You need to have fun."

"I was having fun," she said, completely confused. "I enjoy reading."

"Yes, I do too, but it is important to do other things," Remus informed her archly. Her gaze narrowed suspiciously.

"What sorts of things," Hermione asked cautiously. He grinned at her, and in that moment Hermione saw why Remus was a Marauder. There was a sly playfulness in his eyes that she didn't think she'd ever seen before.

"It just so happens that I have a list," he said, his lips curving in a wicked smile.

"A list?" Hermione echoed anxiously. "What sort of list?"

"Uh-uh," Remus said, shaking his head. "That would be cheating. Why don't you pick a number between 1 and 100 and we'll do whatever that number says."

"Wait, I'll have to see the list, how will I know what I'm picking otherwise?" Hermione said, panicking slightly at the thought of relinquishing control. A wicked glint entered Remus' eyes.

"You won't know what you're picking. That's part of the fun," Remus explained. Hermione evaluated her options, and looked at her brother. She licked her lips nervously and gave a short, jerky nod.

"Fifteen," she said faintly. His grin grew wider.

"Excellent choice, little sister," Remus said with satisfaction. "Go bundle up and meet me in the Great Hall in an hour."

"Why do I feel like I should spend that hour making out my will?" Hermione muttered tartly as she stomped toward the girls' dormitory.

"Because you've got a suspicious mind?" Remus suggested cheerfully.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Right, so where are we?" Sirius asked curiously, looking up and down the street.

"Erm, you know, around and about," James said vaguely, waving a hand. Sirius just looked at him and he flushed. "Well, I figured maybe we could hang out with, um, Remus."

"Uh-huh," Sirius said, amusement thick in his voice. "So you don't want to see Hermione at all, then?"

"If we run into her, it would be rude to ignore her," James said self-righteously.

"Oh, of course," Sirius agreed, snickering slightly. "We wouldn't want to be rude, would we?"

"Definitely not," James said as he picked up the pace.

"So where are we again?" Sirius asked, frowning slightly.

"James!" Marlene McKinnon called his name, waving at him. Lily, Marlene and Dorcas were standing on the street talking and they turned toward James and Sirius.

"Ladies," Sirius said with a roguish smile and a little bow.

"Where's Hermione?" James asked bluntly with a frown. The girls blinked.

"Aren't Remus and Hermione with you?" Lily demanded. The boys shook their heads.

"No," Sirius said slowly.

"Isn't Hermione staying with Andromeda Tonks," Marlene said with a frown. Sirius stared at her for a moment.

"Andromeda Tonks?" He echoed. Marlene nodded.

"Yeah, that's who she's been staying with during summers and what not," Marlene explained.

"Andromeda Tonks, my cousin, _that's_ where Hermione's been staying?" Sirius said slowly as though he just couldn't wrap his head around the idea. He turned to James. "C'mon, I think it's time we visited my favorite relative."

"Wait! We're coming, too!" Lily said firmly. They apparated to the public apparition point near the Tonks' house and trooped up to the door. Sirius knocked and Andromeda opened the door, staring at all of them in surprise.

"Hey 'Dromeda, is Hermione here?" Sirius asked cheerfully. Andromeda frowned.

"I thought that Hermione was staying at Potter Manor for Christmas," Andromeda said anxiously. They all stared at each other. Obviously, Hermione and Remus had told each of them that they would be somewhere else, and obviously Hermione and Remus were at none of those places.

"They lied to us?" James said in surprise. "Why would they lie to us?"

"I would imagine that they both feel self-conscious," Andromeda said with a shake of her head and a sigh. Both Lupins were almost ridiculous in their overwhelming need to 'not be a bother'. She knew that Hermione felt self-conscious around her because she was not _her_ Andromeda. "They didn't want to impose, but they thought you'd all stop them from staying at Hogwarts with each other. I would bet you that Hermione and Remus are both at Hogwarts. Silly girl, I've told her several times that we love having her."

"They're at Hogwarts?" Lily asked, her green eyes widening. Marlene frowned.

"I'm going to go talk to my parents, and then I'm headed back to Hogwarts," Marlene said firmly. Lily stared at her.

"Won't your parents have a fit?" Lily asked in surprise. Marlene shrugged and grinned at her.

"I'm a legal adult, Lily," Marlene reminded her. "My parents have never been as traditional as some of the families, thank Merlin! They'll understand, especially when I tell them that Hermione and Remus are alone."

"My parents _are_ more traditional," Dorcas said drily, "but they'll let me go since it's Hogwarts and McGonagall will be there to keep an eye on _them_."

"Hey!" Sirius and James protested loudly. Lily and Marlene giggled and Andromeda smiled fondly at her favorite cousin.

"Siri, you can be a bit of a gadabout," Andromeda admonished gently. The girls giggled again.

"Siri? Ooh, we have to remember that one," Dorcas managed to gasp out. Sirius glared at her darkly.

"Shut it," he growled at the girls who started giggling again.

/\/\/\/\/\

The five teenagers had flooed Professor McGonagall and verified that, yes, Mr. and Miss Lupin were there at Hogwarts for the holidays before speaking to their respective parents and then apparating to Hogsmeade so that they could return to the castle. They were a large, happy group of young men and women, laughing and teasing one another good-humoredly as they made their way toward Hogwarts. Snow covered the grounds, making the five of them feel as though they were in a winter wonderland. Dorcas Meadows looked at her friends and smiled fondly. Lily had always been such a bright figure in their house, her red hair almost like a banner for Gryffindor coupled with her natural intelligence and her fiery temper made her a stand out student no matter what. Marlene McKinnon was a pureblood just like Dorcas and with her beautiful honey-gold hair and big blue eyes, she'd been a popular girl right from the beginning. Dorcas had always felt herself to be a bit of a plain jane when she was around her prettier friends. She hadn't minded necessarily, looks weren't everything, but she'd always wished that she might be attractive or interesting enough to attract the attention of someone. Marlene and Lily had told her more than once that she was a beautiful girl, and she was barmy if she thought otherwise, but she'd always somehow felt as though they were shining her on. Hermione Lupin was a completely different kettle of fish. She certainly wasn't classically beautiful, like Marlene, but there was something about her that drew people in. Sometimes, Dorcas felt like she was getting whiplash, just being around her. Hermione was a very intense sort of person no matter what she was doing, but her personality seemed to change often. At one moment, Hermione would be studying frantically, buried in books and muttering under her breath to herself. At another moment, she would be dragging Dorcas down some street in London, trying to convince her that she needed a pair of leather pants and a 'belly-ring', whatever _that_ was. In still another moment, she would be the sort of courageous person who would stand up against Death Eaters, trying to protect a couple of little boys who weren't even old enough to attend Hogwarts. Dorcas knew that some nights, Marlene slept in the same bed as Hermione, and at first she'd thought that they were pillow friends, but she realized rather quickly that it was on the nights that Hermione had nightmares. One night, Hermione's silencing ward had failed and all of the girls had awoken to the sound of her screaming and crying, and Marlene trying to calm her down. Poor Hermione, Dorcas thought suddenly, who's been keeping her nightmares away while we've been away? She hurried forward at that thought and the others struggled to keep up with her.

"Dorcas?" Lily panted, hurrying after her. "What's the matter?"

"Well," Dorcas blushed, embarrassed that she'd only now thought of it. She was whispering to Lily, not realizing that the boys behind them could hear every word clearly. "I just remembered that Hermione hasn't had Marlene to sleep with at night, and I got worried."

"Oh," Lily whispered and she nodded. Sirius and James exchanged a confused look, and glanced back at Marlene who hadn't heard anything. _Hermione and Marlene slept together?_ James tried to throttle down the spurt of jealousy that flared within him, but he failed miserably. A quick glance at Sirius let him know that his boyfriend was just as jealous. "I'd forgotten about that, too. Oh, poor Hermione."

"Even if she does drive you crazy?" Dorcas asked pointedly. Lily flushed with embarrassment.

"Just because I want to smack her upside the head on a regular basis doesn't mean I want her to suffer," Lily said with a little sniff.

"Oh, Lily," Dorcas said with a light laugh. Suddenly, an ear-splitting shriek broke their happy camaraderie. All five of them stopped and looked at one another uncertainly. There was another shriek and then a furious voice echoed through the woods that surrounded them.

"Remus! You are _dead_!" The angry shriek was followed by laughter that James and Sirius recognized all too well. "Severus, get him!"

"Hey! No fair recruiting other houses!" Remus hollered from a different section of the woods.

"Next you'll be telling me 'no fair using Auror-level spells to pelt me with snowballs'," Hermione's voice taunted.

"That is cheating!" Remus hollered indignantly.

"That's rich, coming from you," Hermione hollered back.

"I do NOT cheat!" Remus' voice became slightly strident.

"HA!" said a different voice that sounded as though it were relatively close to Hermione.

"YOU stay out of this, you-you-," Remus stumbled slightly.

"I think that you'll find it impossible to use the words 'greasy-haired' and 'git' in the same sentence," Hermione said cheerfully. Deep chuckling came from the area that Hermione's voice seemed to be located.

"Less talking, more pelting your brother with snowballs," said the voice.

"HEY!" Remus complained. Hermione's giggle joined with the deep chuckling.

"Oops!" Hermione said cheerfully with a healthy dose of mock-innocence. "I had _no idea_ that a wide disbursement stunner could be modified to do that."

"This means war!" Remus bellowed, and they saw him sprint out of the woods, cross the road and then they heard a crashing sound followed by more shrieking and more laughing.

"Well obviously the poor dears were just pining away without us," James said sarcastically. Marlene snickered.

"Obviously," she said drily as she headed toward the direction that Remus had been heading. Hermione and Remus were struggling on the ground and it appeared as though Hermione was attempting to shove snow down his robes. He bellowed when she managed to get a good handful under his collar.

"Hermione!" He whined.

"Do we even want to know what you three are up to?" Lily asked flatly, her hands on her hips, a steely glint in her green eyes. Remus tried to jump up, but he hit his head on Hermione's chin, causing her to bite her tongue.

"OW!" Hermione wailed. The girls all winced when Hermione spat blood into the snow.

"We were doing number fifteen," Remus said with a shrug. James and Sirius grinned at him and nodded. The girls looked confused.

"One day in fourth year, Sirius was really, really bored. Remus was trying to study, and Sirius kept bugging him, so he ended up making a list of '100 Super Fun Things to Do'. He told Sirius that once he'd worked his way through the list, _then_ he could bug Remus," James explained.

"He made it a rule that you can only do one super fun thing a day because he thought that would give him three months of peace and quiet," Sirius said with a roll of his eyes. Remus snorted.

"Yes, what was I thinking?" Remus observed with a shake of his head.

"My personal favorite was the mattress sledding down the stairs. Poor McGonagall's face was priceless," Sirius was snickering. Hermione looked appalled.

"Did she catch you at it then?" she asked tentatively. The three marauders started laughing hysterically.

"She came around the corner, saw us standing around with mattresses, and started forward to yell at us," James managed to explain through his laughter, "but she tripped and landed on Peter's mattress, just as he was going down. I thought she was going to murder all of us, but especially Peter because he'd had to put an arm around her to keep her on."

"Merlin's beard," Lily said in horrified fascination, trying to picture McGonagall flying down the staircases on a mattress with Peter Pettigrew's arm around her waist and failing miserably.

"Remus John Lupin!" Hermione whispered in appalled shock. "It's a wonder I had a brother left to find. Professor McGonagall does _not_ suffer fools gladly."

"I cannot believe that I'm about to say this," Severus muttered with a disgusted look on his face, "but your brother isn't a fool. That is perhaps his saving grace with Professor McGonagall, he is incredibly intelligent, despite substantial evidence otherwise."

"Nobody asked for your assistance, Snivellous," James bit out between clenched teeth. Hermione glared at him.

"Don't talk to him that way," Lily snapped.

"I'll talk to him however I like," James said flatly. The fact that James was no longer interested in Lily as a possible wife removed a layer of protection from Severus Snape in his mind. It didn't occur to him that the only reason he'd teased the other boy in the first place was because he'd been trying to lay claim to Lily. Therefore he was shocked when Hermione moved in front of him and poked him in the chest.

"Knock it off," she snapped sharply. "I invited him to come out here and play with us. The three of us were the only students in the castle this Christmas, except that Hufflepuff who's in the infirmary with a really horrendous case of spattergoit."

"Well, we're here now," Sirius said with a dark look in Snape's direction. Hermione glared at him.

"You can just turn around and leave unless you're going to be nice to Severus. Or at least not openly rude," Hermione said sharply.

"We're not leaving," James said flatly. Hermione frowned.

"I'm not kidding," she said shortly. "If either of you behaves like a berk, I swear I'll sleep in the Slytherin dungeons for the rest of Christmas break."

"You can't even get into the dungeons, can you?" Lily asked cautiously. Hermione smirked.

"Watch me," she said coolly.

"Fine, we'll be…polite," James managed to grit out between clenched teeth. Hermione beamed at him.

"Brilliant," Hermione said smugly.

/\/\/\/\/\

"I've never been in the Gryffindor tower before," Snape said uncertainly, staring at the portrait as though it might bite him. Hermione and Lily rolled their eyes at him.

"Well, of course you've never been in the tower," Lily said with an exasperated sigh.

"And you wouldn't be caught dead among the lions normally," Hermione taunted. Severus glared at her. She snorted at him. "It's Christmas, Severus. It won't kill you to hang out with us for one night. After the break is over you can go right back to sneering at us in the hall."

"Oh, fine," Snape muttered ungraciously as he stomped toward the portrait. Lily and Hermione exchanged triumphant smirks behind his back.

The Gryffindor common area was decorated with a haphazard hand that had tended toward prancing lions wearing Santa hats, a profusion of mistletoe over every possible doorway and festive evergreen garlands which were tied with cheerful red bows that had tiny roaring lions prancing across them. Remus, James and Sirius had gone down to the kitchens and convinced the house elves to make a variety of traditional Christmas goodies. Hermione stared at some of it uncertainly, but upon carefully tasting it, she decided it tasted good enough that she was better off not knowing what she was eating. Spiced pumpkin nog washed everything down and all of them ate heartily.

"However shall we occupy ourselves?" James asked with a wicked grin.

"It's funny you should ask, Prongs old boy," Sirius replied with a matching wicked grin. Even Remus' smile was slightly naughty. The girls all looked at one another uneasily. When the Marauders got 'that look', it spelled trouble.

"Perhaps we could play cards, or something," Dorcas suggested weakly, sending a pleading look to Marlene for help, but the blonde Gryffindor just smirked and Dorcas swallowed nervously.

"How much trouble would we get into for doing something in the Great Hall?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Depends on what you're doing in the Great Hall and how lasting the damage is," James said with the voice of experience. Hermione and Marlene smirked at one another and Dorcas and Lily swallowed nervously.

"Severus, can you skate?" Hermione asked thoughtfully. He frowned at her and then reluctantly nodded.

"Ooh, excellent," Marlene said cheerfully. Both girls hooked their arms through Severus' and dragged him toward the portrait hole.

"Wait! What are you two up to?" Remus asked. Hermione grinned at him over her shoulder.

"You'll just have to come and see," she said with a smirk.

The Great Hall had been cleared and the floor was covered with a thick layer of ice. Marlene and Severus were skating together in a complex pattern while Hermione skated in figure eights. Lily laughed delightedly and transfigured herself a pair of skates. Soon, the pretty red-head was pulling a reluctant Remus onto the ice with her. Hermione skated over to Dorcas, James and Sirius.

"You lot don't skate?" She asked curiously. They all shook their heads, and Hermione smiled.

"It's really not all that hard. Come on, let's transfigure you some skates and then we can show you how it's done," Hermione said firmly. She waved Severus and Marlene over and had Severus take Dorcas out on the ice, followed by Marlene with Sirius. Hermione held out her hand and James just stared at it. "I don't bite, you know."

"Pity," he muttered under his breath and took her hand. Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes at him. His hands were smooth, the skin softer than her own, and she hid a slight smile. _Purebloods_. James skated cautiously and clutched at her several times when he almost lost his balance. Soon though, his natural athletic ability came to the fore and he was skating steadily.

"There, James," Hermione encouraged him, "you're doing really well."

"Not as well as Sni-er, Snape," James muttered darkly, glaring in his direction. Hermione put her hand on his arm and drew those intense hazel eyes to her.

"He skates every winter at the local rink," Hermione explained calmly. "You have never skated before in your life, and you really are doing well."

"Thanks," he said and gave her a shy smile. Hermione blinked at him in surprise and smiled back. Maybe James wasn't as much of a berk as Harry had thought. Maybe there was hope for him yet.

/\/\/\/\/\

"You've got to be kidding," Hermione said flatly staring at the wild assortment of bottles of alcohol in front of her.

"It _is_ Christmas, love," Marlene told her with a grin. Hermione rolled her eyes, but she grabbed a bottle of Ogden's. It was Christmas, damn it.

"Where did you get it all?" Remus asked in a tone of wonder. James, Sirius and the girls all looked at him as though he were daft.

"We bought it, Moony, where did you think?" Sirius asked him drily. Remus flushed and punched Sirius on the arm.

"You do know that's firewhiskey?" Sirius asked Hermione with a smirk. The girls shared smirks that Sirius and James didn't see, but Severus quirked a brow. Hermione widened her eyes with mock innocence.

"My goodness, firewhiskey? Doesn't that burn terribly?" Hermione asked Sirius in a slightly breathy voice. Lily noticed that she even batted her eyes at the idiot, but he hadn't seemed to notice. Apparently Black was under the impression that Hermione had fallen under the hypnotic spell of his sexual magnetism, or whatever he was calling it.

"Nah," Sirius had said with a wave of his hand. "Here, James and I will do a shot with you."

"That sounds like fun," Hermione said in that breathy voice. Remus frowned.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Hermione," he said firmly. She waved a hand at him. He frowned again and Lily moved forward and slid her arms around his waist. She tugged on him, pulling him toward a corner. He was frowning after his sister so she reached up and grabbed his face in her hands and pulled his face to hers.

"She'll be fine," Lily breathed at him, trying to communicate with her eyes. Remus tried to pull his face out of her hands and her fingers tightened. "Remus, trust me."

"But," Remus began and Lily shook her head.

"She's our age, Remus, and believe me, Hermione can handle firewhiskey. I'd bet you that she can outdrink Potter and Black," Lily said flatly. Remus' arms slid around Lily, pulled her close, and he nuzzled her neck inhaling her scent because the clean citrusy smell of Lily's hair always calmed him. She melted against him and he pressed a gentle kiss to the soft skin of her neck.

Within a couple hours, Lily's prediction was proven correct when a completely plowed Sirius dragged a protesting James off to their room for 'just a moment'. Hermione was pleasantly surprised to see Dorcas and Severus talking quietly about potions on a settee. She and Marlene were curled up in another settee, giggling about it and Lily was curled up in Remus' lap. Those two were looking deeply into one another's eyes and whispering in each other's ears. Hermione and Marlene took one look at them and rolled their eyes at one another. James and Sirius staggered downstairs looking rather disheveled and Marlene and Hermione exchanged another look.

"It appears as though the only people not getting any tonight are you and me," Marlene muttered darkly with a pout. Hermione snorted in amusement.

"Oh, Marlene, I highly doubt that Dorcas is going to throw Severus down and have her way with him in our common room," Hermione said drily as James and Sirius flopped down on the floor in front of them.

"Ew," James said with a vaguely scandalized expression at the thought of Snape and sex.

"I wouldn't be so sure about that," Sirius said weakly, as they watched Dorcas snog the living daylights out of Snape.

"In the spirit of the holiday season, I think you should show us your tattoo," James said suddenly, turning to look at Hermione. She blinked at him and then snuck a peek at her brother who was…occupied. Eurgh. There were some things a sister _never_ needed to see or know about her brother. She turned back to James with a slightly shell-shocked expression.

"I think we need to leave the common room before I vomit," Hermione said flatly. She grabbed James' hand and dragged him up to his dorm.

"Hey, no fair," Sirius complained. He grabbed Marlene's hand and dragged her up to the dorms, too.

"Marlene and I got them together, sort of a Gryffindors united against the world or something," Hermione mumbled.

James and Sirius nodded gravely as though that made all the sense in the world. Considering that they were pissed and far more concerned with seeing Hermione's skin it may have done. Hermione looked at Marlene who shrugged and grinned at her. They both pulled their shirts off and stood there in their bras. James and Sirius' jaws dropped open, but they weren't paying any attention to the lions that covered almost the whole of Hermione and Marlene's sides from their lower rib cages to the top of their hips. No, instead both boys were staring at Hermione's sternum with identically livid faces. James hands were shaking he was so angry and Sirius' jaw was clenched so tightly that Hermione feared for his teeth.

"Who?" James managed to get out. Hermione glanced down at the scarring on her stomach and chest.

"Dolohov," Hermione said quietly, compelled for some strange reason to tell both James and Sirius. Sirius was making some sort of choking noise and his face was chalky white.

"The bastard," James breathed. His fingers hovered over her stomach and she could feel the heat coming from him, but he didn't actually touch her. He clenched his hands angrily and his hands fell back to his sides.

"You never told me that," Marlene said softly, looking from Hermione to Sirius and James with a furrow between her brows. Hermione bit her lip anxiously.

"It wasn't that I didn't trust you," Hermione tried to explain, but Marlene shook her head.

"No, it's your magic, it's pulling you toward them," Marlene said with a slightly sad smile. Hermione paled slightly.

"Marlene," Hermione said sadly. James and Sirius frowned.

"You two are sleeping together and you didn't tell her that?" Sirius asked gravely. Hermione and Marlene both whirled to glare at him.

"Who told you we were sleeping together?" Marlene snapped angrily. Sirius flushed and looked at James.

"No one, exactly," James said soothingly. "We just, we overheard Dorcas worrying about you Hermione since you wouldn't have Marlene to sleep with you."

"Oh," both women said in unison, understanding on their features, their tense postures relaxing completely.

"We aren't in the sort of relationship that you and Sirius have together," Marlene explained firmly. She glanced at Hermione and her mouth snapped shut, unwilling to divulge her friend's secrets. Hermione sighed.

"I have nightmares sometimes and Marlene will sleep in my bed because having someone nearby helps. She's able to talk to me and I remember that I'm here and that I'm safe," Hermione explained, again compelled to tell Sirius and James something that she let very few people know—not even her brother. Then again, Remus would just beat himself up about it and somehow blame her nightmares on himself. Stupid, noble prat.

"You don't tell anyone about that," Marlene said softly, staring at her. "The only reason we even know is that you forgot the silencing charms one night last year."

"Marlene," Hermione begged. She knew the blond liked her, wanted more from her than she was able to give, and it broke her heart that she couldn't give Marlene what she wanted—what she deserved. Marlene shook her head, making her beautiful blond curls bounce and the look in her eyes was sad, but accepting.

"It's not something that you can help," Marlene said gently. Hermione swallowed and nodded miserably.

"What are you two on about?" Sirius asked, his handsome face confused.

"I think you three might be a triad," Marlene said calmly. Hermione jerked like someone had slapped her.

"True triads are rare," she whispered as though she were reciting something.

"They are," James agreed, watching Hermione carefully. "Why do you say it like that, though?"

"I had a dream," she whispered. "I—he—they said that it was okay, but they said they weren't allowed to say if it was a true triad."

"You had a prophetic dream?" Marlene asked, deeply impressed. Hermione shook her head.

"No, it was more like the ghosts of my past," Hermione said absently. "They were trying to reassure me."

"And they mentioned triads?" Sirius asked curiously, sneaking a glance at James who looked shocked.

"We could test it you know," Marlene told Hermione who looked apprehensive.

"I don't know, Marlene, perhaps we ought to just forget about it," Hermione said faintly.

"Hermione, love, if you are part of a triad, denying it isn't going to do you any good. Your magic will pull you toward them anyway," Marlene said gently. Hermione glanced toward James and Sirius and was shocked by the hopeful looks on their faces.

"Do you _like_ me?" Hermione asked in surprise. The two men looked at one another and then looked uncertainly at her before nodding silently.

"We—we've felt pulled toward you for a while now," Sirius explained quietly.

"So who's up for some triad testing?" Marlene asked with a slightly forced cheerfulness.

"What will it do?" Hermione asked nervously. Marlene shrugged.

"It will indicate whether or not it's a true triad," she informed Hermione gently.

"What if it isn't?" Hermione asked curiously. Marlene snorted.

"Then it means that you'll all shag like bunnies, but you're not bound to one another," Marlene said calmly.

"Fine, let's do it then," Hermione said quickly, trying to cover her nervousness.

Sirius automatically grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently. Hermione felt herself calm down and frowned slightly. Marlene pulled out her wand and flicked it over them, muttering under her breath. A sparky mist settled over them and Hermione stared at James and Sirius who were glowing with a soft golden light. She glanced at Marlene and saw that she looked completely normal. James and Sirius were staring at her with slightly open mouths. They looked completely stunned. She blinked and looked at herself and realized that her skin was glowing, too. She turned to Marlene uncertainly who was looking at all three of them and smiling slightly. It was a slightly sad, sort of wistful smile, but Hermione could see that Marlene was also honestly happy for them.

"A true triad," Marlene said softly, reverently, and Hermione's eyes widened in surprise.

"Merlin's staff," James muttered, staring at Sirius and Hermione.

"What he said," Sirius said faintly.

"What happens now?" Hermione asked hesitantly. Marlene smiled at her and slid an arm around her shoulders.

"You wait patiently for the next twenty years while Black and Potter pull their heads out and grow up a bit," Marlene said with all seriousness. "Then I suppose the three of you will shack up and scandalize British wizarding society until you're one hundred eighty-three."

"Hey!" James and Sirius snapped in irritation.

"Triads are scandalous?" Hermione asked anxiously. Marlene shook her head.

"No, they're just rare," Sirius said firmly, glaring at Marlene.

"I think McKinnon was just insulting Padfoot and I," James said flatly.

"Mostly," Marlene agreed with a shameless smile. "Now, as to what happens next, that is entirely up to the three of you, so I think perhaps I'll toddle off to bed."

"Thank you, Marlene," Hermione said softly and the blonde smiled at her and kissed her cheek before turning and leaving the Seventh year boys' dorm. Sirius hadn't let go of her hand, and now James took her other hand.

"Hermione," James said uncertainly. "Have you felt as drawn to us as we are to you?"

"I have," she admitted quietly.

"You never said—you never even hinted at anything," Sirius said as he frowned at her. Hermione grimaced.

"Well, I certainly wasn't going to say anything to you when you went about reeking of that tart Braintree," Hermione growled and then gasped, snapping her mouth shut.

"You knew about that?" James asked, blushing violently. Hermione snorted.

"Of course I knew," she said flatly.

"That's over," Sirius said firmly. Hermione nodded.

"I know," she said calmly.

"If you're willing to give this, to give us, a chance—I promise you that you won't regret it," James said earnestly.

"What if I can't?" Hermione asked anxiously. "What if I'm just not capable?"

"We're a true triad," Sirius pointed out gently. "If you weren't capable, Marlene's spell wouldn't have worked."

"Okay," Hermione said weakly, her mind racing almost as fast as her heart. "Okay…I'll try. That's the best I can offer."

"YES!" James bellowed and he swept her up into his arms, kissing her thoroughly. Hermione felt that fire in her veins just as she always did when James was this close to her. She gave herself up to the kiss, going boneless in his arms until the door flew open and hit the wall with a resoundingly loud bang.

"What the hell are you doing to my sister?" Remus growled furiously. James and Hermione broke apart and stared at him in surprise.

"It was just a kiss, Remus," Hermione said in a soothing tone. He glared at her.

"Do you often kiss people whilst topless?" Remus bit out. Hermione glanced down at herself in surprise, realizing that she still had her shirt off. She was wearing a bra, but it didn't conceal much. As unbelievable as others may have found it, James and Sirius hadn't been looking at her chest; their conversation had been so intense that they had forgotten about her state of undress.

"It wasn't like that," Sirius snapped angrily. Remus turned his amber glare towards him.

"What was it like, then," Remus growled, his wolf coming to the fore. Hermione calculated rapidly in her head and bit back a moan of frustration. The full moon was in a matter of days. She moved out of James arms and went to her brother who sniffed her carefully and relaxed slightly. She took his face in her hands and made him look at her.

"Marlene did a spell for us," Hermione said carefully, watching her brother and trying to figure out the best way to break this to him. She bit her lip and tried for the direct approach. "Padfoot and Prongs are my mates, Moony."

"Not if they're dead they're not," Moony growled low in his throat, his amber eyes pinning his friends where they stood. Hermione made her own growl, which drew his attention back to her.

"Smell me," she demanded. "They haven't done anything they shouldn't have done."

"I suppose," Moony said flatly after he had sniffed her, still eyeing them distrustfully. She patted him gently.

"Moony, listen to me: if they're my mates and they're part of your pack that's more people to protect me and more people to help protect _your_ mate, right?" Hermione said firmly. Moony seemed to be considering her words and he saw the amber flicker slightly as Remus fought for control.

"I suppose," Moony agreed reluctantly. Hermione smirked mentally. He was listening at least.

"What about when you have cubs, Moony?" Hermione asked firmly, playing the big card. "You need a pack to protect your cubs."

"Hmph," Moony grunted noncommittally. The brown came back and Hermione breathed a sigh of relief.

"Remus," she said thankfully. He was frowning at her.

"What do you mean, mates?" Remus demanded. Hermione blushed slightly, her cheeks a light pink.

"Marlene did a spell and it said that we're a triad," Sirius said carefully. Remus' head swung his way and then went back to Hermione.

"A triad?" He said faintly. Hermione nodded. His arms tightened around her and he frowned at James and Sirius.

"So, when James was bellowing like a whale in heat?" Remus asked pointedly. James growled at him and Hermione snorted.

"I was agreeing to give it a go," she said quietly. Remus' eyes narrowed suspiciously at James and Sirius.

"You two hurt her and they'll never find your bodies," he said flatly. Both men nodded.

"We know, you've told us," Sirius said drily.

"Repeatedly," James added.

"Hopefully it sinks in then," Remus said darkly. Then he looked at his sister and flushed. "Could you please put your shirt back on?"

"Let's go see what Lily's wearing at the moment, shall we?" Hermione suggested archly. Remus blushed a dark red. "That's what I thought. James and Sirius weren't doing anything. I'll put my shirt back on, but only because I'm starting to get cold."

"When did you get a great ruddy lion tattoo?" Remus demanded, staring at her side as Hermione pulled her shirt back on.

"This last summer, Remus," Hermione said with a sigh.

"I don't like it," he muttered.

"Too bad," she said firmly. "It's staying."

"Fine," Remus muttered. Hermione flicked a glance toward James and Sirius and then looked back at her brother.

"I'm keeping them, too," Hermione told him firmly. Remus sighed dramatically.

"If you must," he muttered darkly. James and Sirius glared at him.

"Oi!" Sirius snapped. "Aren't we your best friends?"

"Yeah, but she's my baby sister," Remus said flatly. Hermione looked up at him and Remus could see the insecurity flickering in her golden-brown eyes. He sighed and pulled her into his arms, hugging her to his side. "I love you, Hermione, and I'll figure out how to deal with the fact that you're a triad with James and Sirius."

"Without Moony panicking and killing them?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"We'll try," Remus said with a sigh. Hermione eyed him suspiciously and then relaxed against him.

"Just make sure that you come to me, and talk to me before you touch them. You can't murder them only to find out that whatever wild rumor you heard wasn't true," Hermione said firmly.

"Fine," Remus muttered.

"I'm not going to get a kiss, am I?" Sirius groused unhappily. "Why is it that Remus always bursts in on us when it's my turn to kiss Hermione?"

"Probably not the best time to mention that, Sirius," James whispered when Remus glared at them again. Hermione smacked her brother on the shoulder.

"We had to leave the common room before we saw more of you than I ever want to," Hermione pointed out with a little glare of her own. "You can't pull this double standard crap Remus. James, Sirius and I are going to try and figure this thing out, but you can't go spare about it every five minutes. Trust me at least."

"I do trust you," Remus said with a heavy sigh. Hermione smiled at him.

"Good," she said cheerfully.

"So how is this going to work?" Remus asked after a moment. Hermione frowned.

"I'm not sure," she said hesitantly. Sirius pulled her gently out of Remus' arms and into his own.

"We'll find out what works for us," Sirius said confidently and kissed her chastely on the brow.


	8. Winter Chill

_A/N: I just realized that I forgot to tell you my master plan, and by keeping it secret you may become confused later. The Lupin family has been plagued by Greyback—you could even go so far as to say he destroyed it. Therefore the Lupins will probably focus more on him (as opposed to other evil people whose names may or may not begin with 'V') because he has hurt them directly. _

_On a completely different note, I suppose I could have just made a big happy quad with Marlene, Hermione, Sirius and James (I don't have any personal objections to one), but sometimes things don't turn out that way. One of the truest songs on the planet is "Love Stinks", and I think that should be acknowledged every now and then. Maybe I will do a quad someday, and a Hermione/Multi, and maybe a Creature!fic. That will have to be after my Xover story where Hermione is Rupert Giles' niece and threatens to turn Spike into a ferret. :D_

/\/\/\/\/\

"Peter, there you are," Hermione said cheerfully, "I've been looking for you."

"Have you?" He asked nervously. She sat down across from him in the library and looked at him carefully. He looked uneasy.

"Have you made your decision then?" She asked quietly. "I did notice that you didn't come to see us over Christmas break."

"I mostly visited my mother," Peter said quietly, "and…I thought. How could you protect me, if I choose my friends?"

"Well, Peter, that's part of the problem of having friends. Often we do things for them without expecting any payment at all. Friendship is not a tally board: I shall do this for you, if you do this for me. That's not friendship at all. True friendship requires love and sacrifice. Often we do not know the limits of that love or the limits of the sacrifices we are willing to make unless we are tested. Sometimes, friendship requires that we give everything without ever expecting to receive anything back. Do you understand?" Hermione's voice was low and urgent. Peter felt shame rise within him.

"I don't know if I can do that," he admitted finally. Hermione shrugged.

"As long as you understand that Voldemort will not offer you any guarantees," Hermione said quietly. She touched his arm almost hesitantly, and quickly pulled her fingers back. "He would think it funny to lie to you—to convince you that what he said and what he meant were the same thing—and then laugh at your confusion and pain. He is not your friend, Peter, and he never will be."

"What you say makes sense, but it doesn't sound at all pleasant," Peter said at last, staring at his hands.

"No, it isn't. None of this is pleasant for anyone. We are all at risk, we all have things to lose," Hermione reminded him. He nodded slowly.

"I want to help, but I'm afraid," he whispered finally. Hermione nodded and the look on her face wasn't mocking or judgmental.

"You have every right to be scared," she said quietly. "The future is uncertain and Voldemort will do his best to sway you to his side."

"You will be in danger, too," Peter pointed out. "You're a link to both Padfoot and Prongs."

"Voldemort won't consider me important," Hermione said with a shrug. "I'm just a woman. You, however, have been their friend for seven years."

"I have," he agreed, looking even more miserable.

"I understand that this is not an easy choice," Hermione said hesitantly. Her eyes took on a faraway look and she sat there silently for several moments. "However, it is sometimes better to make the hard choice. You may not think so immediately when Voldemort decides that you are worth pursuing, but at the end of the day, Peter Pettigrew, you will be glad, I think."

"I—I need more time," Peter muttered to the top of the table. Hermione watched him for a moment.

"Very well," she said softly. "Do not wait too long, Peter."

As the girl rose to her feet and left, the boy slumped down onto the table, looking even more miserable than he had before. Regulus Black stood among the stacks, watching the boy for a while. The girl's words had struck a chord within him, had resonated in him. He had been approached by his cousin Bellatrix and her husband Rudolphus, but they frightened him more than anything else. His parents believed in the purity of the bloodlines and all that, but neither of them had ever actually supported Voldemort by joining the ranks as Death Eaters or by giving Voldemort funds. Why? He frowned to himself and thought about his brother Sirius who had refused to speak to him since he'd run away from home. His heart clenched painfully at the thought of his older brother, but he ignored the pain to focus on what the Lupin girl had said. Was Pettigrew being courted by the Death Eaters, just as he was? Did they want Pettigrew as a link to his brother? Regulus' frown became more pronounced. What was going on, and more importantly, was his brother at risk?

/\/\/\/\/\

In the first days after their mutual decision to try out the triad thing, James and Sirius had danced around her in a complex and delicate pattern that seemed to be focused on not pissing her off or scaring her away from them; they had been cautious, careful and courteous in their treatment of her. Hermione had appreciated being given space to sort herself out and had hesitantly tested the boundaries of her feelings for both men. Sirius and James' relationship continued as it had, including the physical aspects. Hermione was surprised to learn that she wasn't jealous of them. Perhaps if the three of them were in a full relationship she might have felt slighted or ignored, but that was hardly the case currently, James and Sirius always made it a point to pay attention to her. Now school was back in session and Hermione was becoming edgy and withdrawn.

"Hermione?" Remus murmured softly, nudging her with his shoulder. She blinked and looked up at him. She smiled automatically when she realized it was her brother. It had been over a year since she'd come back, and she'd never stopped being grateful that she had this chance to know Remus and to be a part of his life.

"Did you need something?" She asked curiously, turning away from the book she was reading to devote her attention to her brother. He rolled his eyes and shook his head at her.

"No, I rather thought that perhaps you'd like to talk," Remus pointed out drily. She shrugged.

"I'm fine," she said shortly. Remus' lips pursed.

"Really? Where are you sleeping at night?" Remus asked flatly.

"Where am I…what kind of question is that?" Hermione demanded tartly. Remus just looked at her.

"I try not to think about your sleeping habits as a general rule," Remus said flatly, "however, James and Sirius spend huge portions of their day doing just that. Sometimes they even consult the map about it. They're the ones who realized that ever since you three made your decision, you haven't been sleeping in the girls' dorms. Why?"

"I have nightmares," Hermione admitted softly to Remus and instantly his arms were around her and she was being hauled into his lap so that he could sniff her and make sure that she was all right. She sighed and let his wolf decide for himself that she was fine. Finally, Remus seemed satisfied. He pulled back and eyed her thoughtfully.

"Why does the fact that you have nightmares mean that you can't sleep in the girls' dormitory?" Remus asked curiously. Hermione sighed.

"Marlene would usually sleep in my bed so that she could help wake me up and calm me down," Hermione said slowly, haltingly, staring at her hands. "However, if I'm in a relationship with someone, er, or someones, I can't do that. In addition to that is the fact that Marlene wants me and it just becomes this big huge confused mess."

"So, wait, for two years now Marlene's been sleeping in your bed to help you with nightmares?" Remus asked in surprise. She sighed and nodded.

"Well, not for the whole time. I mean, in the beginning they didn't know me, but yeah," Hermione explained. "When we first started, Marlene was just trying to be nice. She felt badly for me and wanted to help. It's only been recently that I realized that she wanted more than just friendship."

"I see," Remus said quietly. "I understand your choice. James and Sirius would be wildly jealous about someone else sharing your bed if you're their girlfriend, especially if they found out that that someone wanted into your knickers. You'd think Sirius would be the worst because he's a Black, but James has got a bit of Black blood in him and he can be just as bad."

"What?" Hermione asked blankly, confusion in her eyes. Remus smirked at her and it was another one of those moments where his Inner Marauder peeked out at her.

"The Blacks, love, are a family of rather, er, _intense_ witches and wizards. Some would say crazy or mad, but I'm fond of James' mum and Sirius' cousin Andromeda so I'm willing to allow them a bit of slack," Remus informed his little sister with a wicked smile that made her roll her eyes and swat him on the arm. "Anyway, part of the _intensity_ that touches every Black is a tendency toward irrationality, well, and jealousy, but mostly irrationality."

"This conversation isn't helping me at all, you know that, right?" Hermione asked Remus. He snickered slightly and hugged her to his chest.

"Sorry, back on topic," he said with a wicked grin. "My point is just that James and Sirius will be wildly jealous of the stupidest things. No matter how irrational the idea might be. Try not to hex them too much for it, they can't help it. I would say that if their behavior with each other is any indicator, they will be just as bad as a pair of werewolves. They might not sniff and lick you, but then again…they might."

"You're joking," Hermione said blankly, staring at her brother with a horrified expression. He grinned and shrugged.

"Also, they're going to be hurt that you're off sleeping wherever instead of just telling them about the nightmares. They'd let you sleep in one of our beds, you know. Just like we did that one time, they'd share a bed and you could sleep in James or Sirius' bed. Of course, they'd probably be jealous about whose bed you wanted to sleep in, but that's what I meant about being irrational," Remus tried to explain. Hermione shook her head and started to rub her temples.

"I—it probably would work best if they slept with me," Hermione admitted to her brother, bracing herself for his angry screeching. Remus impressed her by not throwing a fit. He tensed slightly, but he nodded slowly.

"I thought you weren't ready for-," he began, but a pained expression tightened his features.

"I don't mean sex," she said bluntly, ignoring the twitch of his jaw. "I mean them in the same bed, close enough for me to smell them and touch them."

"Ah," Remus said with a nod and his body relaxed. She wasn't surprised. That was something his wolf would understand completely—the need to be close to one's mate, or mates. Wolves didn't have more than one, but he would still understand the desire.

"So you see why I chose to sleep in the Room of Requirement?" Hermione asked, laying her head on her brother's shoulder. He chuckled and she could hear it reverberate through his chest.

"Yes, but Sirius and James are still going to insist that you let them comfort you. They will take the whole thing very seriously, trust me," Remus said firmly. Hermione nodded absently.

"I suppose you're right," Hermione murmured absently.

For the rest of Christmas break Hermione slept in the boys' dormitory in Sirius or James' bed. She alternated between them because she realized that Remus was right, it would not be fair to favor one bed over the other. She noted with a slight pang of her heart that whichever bed she slept in, she always longed for the missing man. When she laid in Sirius' bed, she missed James, and when she laid in James' strong arms, she missed Sirius. Eventually, the three of them figured out how to bypass the security wards on the dorm beds and transfigured them to fit all three of them. Hermione had never slept as well as she had that first night that she was cuddled between James and Sirius. A pleased smile lurked on her lips for most of the following day making both men preen slightly and causing the girls to tease her mercilessly as they assumed a completely different reason for her relaxed, happy smile.

/\/\/\/\/\

"You know that this is going to be bad, right?" Lily said cautiously to Hermione. Remus' sister was abrasive and curt with her much of the time, but Lily felt that it was important for her to say something. Hermione frowned at her, her whiskey colored eyes narrowing on Lily's face. The redhead shifted uncomfortably, but she held her ground.

"It would be good to know of what you are speaking," Hermione said slowly, eyeing her carefully. Lily flushed in embarrassment.

"They, er, James and Sirius, they're going to feel an urge to do something…big," Lily tried to explain. Hermione appeared to understand her perfectly. She sucked air into her lungs and gasped at Lily like a landed fish for several moments.

"They wouldn't!" Hermione said at last. Lily bit her lip. "They most definitely would," Lily said firmly.

"But, but…they haven't done anything like that during our whole break," Hermione protested weakly.

"Yes, but now that school is back in session they're going to want to, er, mark you as theirs," Lily explained carefully.

"Mark me?" Hermione said faintly, paling slightly; she frowned at Lily. "They're not werewolves."

"Were—oh! Will he, er, mark _me_?" Lily asked softly, her green eyes huge in her face. Hermione stared at her for a moment.

"Haven't you looked up anything about werewolves in the library?" Hermione demanded sharply. Lily flushed with embarrassment.

"Sure I did," Lily said in surprise. "It's just…they didn't say anything about _marking_ anyone."

"Well, I imagine that once you, er, you know this is a lot harder to talk about when it involves my brother," Hermione said finally with a pained look on her face.

"Pretend it's not him. Some other nice werewolf," Lily suggested. Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes.

"Right, that wouldn't cause World War III," Hermione muttered darkly, imagining Remus' reaction to any other alpha male's scent on _his_ girlfriend. She sighed and shrugged. "Okay, fine, some other sexy, single werewolf who is most definitely not my brother has a girlfriend. If that girlfriend is his Mate, note the capital 'M' there, then he's going to want to mark her. First he'll court and woo her, then he'll officially claim her, er, have sex with her, and most likely during his orgasm he will mark her. It's all instinctual and it's not something he can really stop or help."

"He—I—and then he…," Lily was sputtering helplessly, her face turning darker and darker shades of red. Hermione frowned at her.

"And you should know that Rule #21 usually won't work properly during a mating heat. You aren't a werewolf yourself, but after he bites you, you'll find yourself starting to share certain of his attributes, er, not the transforming kind—more of the heightened senses kind. I think it's a protection thing. It's difficult to be certain; I've only ever met one other mated werewolf couple and they weren't exactly forthcoming with private information," Hermione informed her crisply, thinking for just a moment about Kenneth and his Pepper who had tried to help Remus before they'd been killed by Greyback.

"You lot never did tell me what Rule #21 was," Lily huffed irritably, apparently ignoring the whole idea of possibly going into a mating heat with Remus. Hermione looked right at the redhead, her golden-brown eyes narrowed on the other girl's face.

"Never, ever forget the contraception charm," Hermione said slowly and distinctly. Lily flushed red again and tossed her hair.

"Thanks for the advice, Hermione, but you can't distract me," Lily said firmly, a steely glint in her emerald eyes. "What is Rule #21?"

"I told you—never, ever forget the contraception charm," Hermione snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously. Lily blushed again and Hermione sighed heavily. She knew that she'd been that innocent once, but she honestly couldn't remember it all that well. To be perfectly blunt, she was rather glad that she no longer blushed painfully over the mere mention of the contraception charm. As the Andy that she had known had stated flatly: 'If you're too embarrassed to talk about it, you shouldn't be doing it.' Sound advice, in her opinion.

"Oh," Lily muttered quietly.

"Hermione!" Dorcas was calling her name and gesturing at her urgently. Hermione smiled and nodded and turned to Lily for a moment.

"Buck up, Lily, you look like your familiar died. If he sees you with that face, he'll make you explain what's bothering you and I doubt you want that," Hermione said cheerfully. Lily grimaced and shook her head.

"No," Lily agreed wryly. Remus was entirely too perceptive about her moods and feelings. Hermione smirked at her as though she knew exactly what Lily was thinking and then walked lazily toward Dorcas. Lily flared her nostrils in irritation and tried to tamp down her temper. Hermione always knew how to push all of her buttons at once; it was a gift.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Oi, Hermione!" James bellowed down the corridor. A number of girls cast glances in his direction, but he wasn't looking at any of them. He was completely focused on the petite girl at the end of the corridor who had paused to glare at him for making a public scene.

"James," she hissed between clenched teeth. "I assume there was an important reason for bellowing?"

"Er, yeah," he said with a grin. He leaned forward and kissed her on the nose. Then he slung an arm around her waist and hauled her up against his well-muscled Chaser frame. She blinked up at him, clearly unimpressed. He coughed and flushed slightly.

"James Charlus Potter," she hissed at him as they continued down the hall, "you see me every damn day, I sleep in your damn bed for Merlin's sake! What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing," James said weakly, attempting to look innocent and failing miserably. Hermione's eyes narrowed as she looked at him.

"What are you plotting?" Hermione demanded suddenly.

"Plotting?" James said innocently, his hazel eyes wide. Hermione glared at him.

"Yes, plotting," Hermione said firmly.

"Isn't it, er, lunch time? I was, um, going to escort you to the Great Hall," James mumbled, running an absent hand through his wild hair. Hermione just looked at him, one chestnut brow quirking at him, her lips thinned in irritation.

"I see, you just wanted to be a gentle wizard," Hermione said drily. James grinned cockily and winked at her.

"Got it in one, love," he drawled, his voice slightly husky. Hermione's eyes widened and she sucked air into her lungs. James had a naturally deep voice, deeper than Harry's had ever been, and just the sound of it made her insides do a little cheer. If one added those hazel eyes which seemed to smolder at her and that strong jaw that she just wanted to lick and…Merlin's beard, was she thinking about _licking_ James? What was wrong with her?

"Lunch," she said faintly and headed toward the Great Hall, James following her and whistling slightly off-key.

Sirius, Remus and Peter were already sitting at the Gryffindor table and when Hermione tried to go sit with Lily, Marlene and Dorcas, James firmly steered her toward Sirius. Her lips thinned again and her eyes narrowed dangerously at the Marauders who took one look at her face and gulped nervously. Sirius did some rapid-fire silent communication with James using only his eyes and some rapid eyebrow movement. James finally sighed heavily and let go of her, allowing Hermione the freedom to go sit with the girls, but the damage had already been done. Quite a few girls had seen the strange almost argument that had taken place and there had been several frowns in the Great Hall.

"Well that was incredibly subtle," Dorcas said sarcastically as Hermione sat down and began to serve herself.

"It's not my fault," Hermione muttered darkly. Marlene gave her a slightly sad smile.

"It isn't," Marlene agreed quietly. "I sort of wish it was, it would certainly make things easier."

"Ooh, if looks could kill our Hermione would be dead several times over," Dorcas whispered across the table. Lily glanced about and she had to agree. Hermione was receiving several glares that promised some nasty retribution.

"They haven't even done anything," Hermione said absently, glaring right back at Heather Braintree and happily imagining performing several nasty hexes on the other girl.

"Mmm, but you see, James doesn't usually do public displays of affection. Shouting to the whole school that he wants to marry a girl, sure, but he's never physically affectionate with any girl in public," Marlene explained carefully, "and the whole school knows that he snogged you up against the wall on the third floor."

"Snogged me against the wall?" Hermione said a little too loudly, her voice filled with outrage. Several students glanced in their direction. "He kissed me on the nose, there was no snogging."

"That's more than he's done with anyone else in public," Dorcas explained quietly, leaning across the table at them. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"That's because Sirius gets wildly jealous and he would have had James' bollocks for garters if he'd done that," Hermione said flatly, keeping her voice just above a whisper. Dorcas and Marlene giggled. Lily flushed in embarrassment. "Oh, for Merlin's sake, Lily! There's nothing wrong with it, it's perfectly natural."

"Oh, er, of course," Lily agreed, flushing. It wasn't the James and Sirius part, it was that Hermione was always so _blunt_ about everything. She could almost picture Sirius wearing James' bollocks as garters, but then she could sort of see James' bollocks and that was the part that made her blush. If she should be thinking about any bloke's bollocks, it should be Remus' bollocks, right? Good god, why was she sitting staring at her lunch thinking about bollocks?

"Lils, are you okay?" Dorcas asked worriedly. Lily had turned pale and then rather greenish and now she looked confused.

"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine," Lily said hurriedly and started poking at her lunch.

"Actually, I'm rather proud of both James and Sirius," Marlene said calmly, eating her eel pie with dainty little bites. "I fully expected them to do something horribly embarrassing to Hermione."

"I think they're afraid to do anything that will make her call it all off," Dorcas suggested thoughtfully and nibbled at a sandwich. Marlene snorted.

"They can't," she said drily. Hermione shot her a look and she shrugged. "Oh, I suppose you could, but it wouldn't be a good idea for any of you and it could cause your magical core to become unstable."

"They're a triad then?" Dorcas whispered excitedly, eyeing Hermione as though she were a fascinating specimen. Marlene nodded. Lily frowned slightly.

"A what?" she asked curiously. Hermione sighed and rubbed at her temples.

"A triad," she said so quietly that no one beyond their small group could hear them. "I promise we'll explain it to you later, but not in the middle of the Great Hall, yeah?"

"All right," Lily agreed quietly. Marlene and Dorcas looked slightly embarrassed to have discussed such a delicate topic in such a public place. They both shot slightly apologetic, guilty looks toward Hermione who shook her head slightly.

"Hey, Hermione," Sirius' said gently from behind her. "Walk you to class?"

"Yes, of course," Hermione said with a slight sigh. She knew that she'd have to be completely fair and equal to both men, and since James had walked her to lunch Sirius wanted to walk her to class. When she stood up, he took her bag from her and shouldered it easily. Then he took her elbow gently, as though she were made of spun glass, and guided her toward her next class.

"Oh, that's going to make everything even worse," Marlene said with a sigh. Dorcas nodded, but Lily frowned.

"What are you talking about?" She demanded.

"Did you see the way Sirius treated Hermione?" Dorcas asked. Lily nodded.

"Yes, he was a perfect gentleman," Lily said approvingly. Dorcas and Marlene raised their collective eyebrows.

"When has Sirius ever been a perfect gentleman?" Marlene asked drily. Lily blinked. Sirus was unfailingly polite to women, but it was a sort of careless grace of a wizard who'd been raised from birth to courteous whenever a woman was present. Today, however, Sirus had been tenderly solicitous of Hermione, and she had never seen him act that way with anyone, not even James. He had treated Hermione with love and affection, with caring and protectiveness.

"Oh dear," Lily said softly.

"Exactly," Dorcas agreed.

/\/\/\/\/\

The students of Hogwarts were confused, none more so than the Gryffindors. At any given time, one could walk into Gryffindor tower and into the common room to find Hermione Lupin comfortably perched in James Potter's lap, reading her Charms textbook or some such while he stroked her back lazily with one large hand. But then there were the times when one would find the same Hermione Lupin in Sirius Black's lap, snuggled against his chest with Transfiguration or Potions or what have you. Remus didn't seem to mind, which surprised everyone because they thought he would have a fit. The first conclusion that most drew was erroneous; Hermione was not the sort of girl who slept with anyone and everyone. The second conclusion was equally erroneous; James and Sirius did not welcome just anyone onto their laps. Heather Braintree in particular seemed irritated at the rebuffs from James and Sirius.

"Look, James, I can do whatever _she_ is willing to do," Heather had told him bluntly one day in the corridors. "I'm happy to do whatever you ask."

"Braintree, it's not like that at all," James snapped, his face turning red with anger.

"I'm not stupid, James, I can see that she's taken my place-," Heather began heatedly, but James made a growl of rage that cut her off. Her glared at her, his hazel eyes almost glowing with his fury.

"You didn't have a 'place', Braintree," James snapped furiously, his voice icy in his disdain. "You were willing to have sex with Sirius and me at the same time. That was it, end of story. We got bored and now we're done. We never made any promises to you and we never indicated that it was anything other than what it was. I don't know where you get off acting like some sort of injured party, but you're not."

"But James," Heather tried again and he growled at her again. She put her hand on his arm.

"Don't," he snapped at her, shrugging her hand off of him.

"What can she do for you that I can't?" Heather demanded. James shook his head.

"I'm not having this conversation with you," he said clearly and distinctly. "We all had fun, which was all we ever attempted with you. Leave Sirius and me alone."

"Well, I never!" Heather sniffed self-righteously.

"That must be a first," James said tartly before he stalked off down the hall. Heather Braintree's eyes narrowed on his back as he walked away from her.

/\/\/\/\/\

"I don't know if it has escaped your notice, but I always seem to get the short end of the stick when it comes to kisses," Sirius pointed out with a roguish smile. Hermione quirked a brow at him.

"I believe that James has made it one of his goals in life to make sure that you always have that 'I've just been thoroughly snogged' look," Hermione pointed out calmly. Sirius pouted at her and she had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from grinning at him. He was so adorable when he was like this, but he was only like this around his closest friends…and her. Somehow, someway, she had been deemed worthy of seeing this special side of Sirius and it never failed to melt her insides a little.

"I meant when it comes to _your_ kisses," Sirius said with a little mock growl that made her senses shiver just a bit.

"Oh, so now James' kisses aren't good enough for you?" Hermione teased him with a naughty glint in her eyes. "Poor James, however will he cope to know that he's been tossed over?"

"He hasn't been tossed over! I'm just saying I'd like one or two of those kisses you're always giving him, the wanker," Sirius growled at her, only now the mock part of it was gone. His grey eyes seemed to be getting a bit darker and they seemed to intense.

"Oh," Hermione murmured softly, staring at his full, sensuous mouth. Then she blinked up at him. "You're not jealous of James, are you Sirius? Because that's just rid-,"

Sirius had swooped down on her with those lips and she was helpless against them, not that she really wanted to fight against those lips. They moved against her lips with little nibbles and licks and kisses. Sirius Black gave the most involved kisses she'd ever had. She melted against him in a puddle of warm Hermione goo and nibbled and kissed and licked his lips back. It seemed the polite thing to do, really. Who was she kidding? Whenever Sirius kissed her she melted against him. He buried his hands in her hair and tilted her head back gently so that he could nibble his way down her neck. Rather sporting of him, she decided when he licked her pulse point. She moaned encouragement to him and he worked his way up to a lonely earlobe. She was having trouble breathing properly at that point and she decided that the safest thing for her to do was to give some attention to Sirius' neck. She licked the warm skin there and he shuddered against her. He smelled of man, sun and an indescribable scent that Hermione knew was the lingering scent of his animagus form. To many it might smell a bit of dog, but Hermione was a wolf-animagus and to her there was a wildness to the scent that dog did not generally have to it. She supposed that might be because he was a grim as opposed to a regular dog. He whimpered against her, shifting his body against hers and she wriggled her hips to shift herself. He groaned, panting into her neck.

"Hermione," he moaned breathlessly, her name like a prayer on his lips. She shivered at the feel of his warm breath against her skin. The feel of his warmth, the strength of him pressed against her made her mind reel and her senses kick into overdrive.

"Yes?" She panted back at him.

"I think…I think we ought to stop now, or I shan't be able to, and James will have a fit and never forgive me," Sirius managed to get out although it looked as though it pained him to say so. Hermione pulled back and looked at him for a moment.

"I'm not a doll that you two can fight over, you do know that, don't you?" Hermione asked a bit sharply. Sirius frowned at her.

"Well, of course you're not a doll!" He snapped, looking a bit insulted.

"So if I decided I wanted you here and now, you'd tell me no because James hadn't pre-approved it?" Hermione asked tartly, moving away from him to stand up and start stalking up and down in front of him. She whirled to glare at him. "Nobody's come to me to get pre-approval for your sexual congress. Should I be throwing a fit about that?"

"What?" Sirius was confused and irritated. Moments ago his arms had been filled with warm, willing Hermione and now he was getting yelled at for having sex with James. "I thought you were okay with all of that?"

"I'm perfectly fine with it," Hermione said calmly, glaring at him through narrowed eyes. "What I am not fine with is not being granted the same sort of courtesy. How can the two of you, or James, sit there and shag one another and then get pissy if I'd like the same courtesy? It's not fair, is it?"

"What?" Sirius was now positive that he had missed an important part of the conversation. "Er, look, it isn't every time that he, or rather we, cared about. It was, er, the first time."

"You do know that I'm not a virgin, right?" Hermione asked bluntly. He blinked at her and shrugged.

"Yeah, we knew. Hard not to when Benjy Fenwick's scent was all over you, wasn't it?" Sirius grumbled. Hermione snorted at him.

"Don't tell me you were jealous, not when the two of you were covered with Braintree's scent," Hermione said flatly. Sirius paled slightly.

"You knew about that?" He asked nervously.

"Rather difficult not to know," Hermione said tartly, echoing Sirius' earlier complaint about Benjy Fenwick.

"Oh, ah," Sirius said faintly. Hermione just looked at him.

"I think the three of us need to sit down and talk about this," Hermione said flatly.

"Er," Sirius paused and cleared his throat. "That might be a good idea."

"We need to lay some clear ground rules for everyone," Hermione continued, a steely glint in her eyes. "I refuse to have one set of rules for you lot and a separate set for me, it isn't fair and I won't stand for it."

"No, of course not," Sirius agreed readily, nodding. She frowned darkly at him.

"I'll speak to you later, I need to go cool off," Hermione snapped irritably and marched out of the boys' dorm and down toward the common area. No one was about, which suited her just fine. She was going to go for a run, and then perhaps a nice long bath in the Prefects' bathroom. Then, maybe, she'd feel up to talking to James and Sirius.


	9. A Friend in Need

_A/N: I realized with horror and no small amount of shock that I hadn't updated this story in some time. RL is partially responsible (nothing is quite so painful as the destruction of one's laptop), but so is writer's block. Forgive me?_

_**Warning: The characters may do things. At least, I hope they do. I didn't write all of this for them to sit about and stare at the walls.**_

/\/\/\/\/\

Jiggling her foot restlessly, Dorcas sighed heavily and looked down at the essay she was supposed to be writing. She rubbed her temples. Dating Severus Snape was a lot harder than she had ever thought it would be, not that she'd actually sat around and thought about it before Hermione had come to Hogwarts. He was so dark and sarcastic and snarky, and Dorcas found that she enjoyed that probably a bit more than she ought. No, the problem was that Severus Snape was pretty much convinced that he was unlovable, and he hid all of his insecurity and pain behind an uncaring mask. It was as though he had decided to want everything he could not or should not have so that when he was rejected, his perception of reality would be reinforced. It was enough to drive Dorcas to distraction. She knew that he had flirted with the idea of becoming a Death Eater because he had decided that that would offer him an entrée into polite pureblood society. Thank Merlin's blessed toes that Hermione had managed to nip that in the bud. What caused the intense tension headache that Dorcas was currently suffering from was the fact that she had only managed to discover all of this information by being as sneaky as her boyfriend. She snorted at the thought of Severus pouring his heart out to her. The very idea was laughable.

At first, Dorcas had been grievously insulted when Severus had awkwardly suggested that they try to keep their relationship a secret. It had taken an entire pan of brownies, a bottle of good red wine and the sympathetic ears of her girlfriends before they had all come to the conclusion that Severus was trying to protect her. Hermione had explained about the whole Death Eater situation, and Dorcas had wanted to hunt down said boyfriend and smack him. Marlene sat on her, which Dorcas pointed out was incredibly rude and very un-best friend-like, but Marlene had ignored her. It had been Lily's turn then, and she had explained all about Severus' less than stellar childhood, which just made Dorcas feel awful. She hadn't known about any of that. Did that make her a bad girlfriend? A bad person? Shouldn't she have known? Shouldn't she have done something? Hermione had looked at her with an odd expression and had asked just what, exactly, Dorcas thought she could do to 'fix everything'. She had glared at all three of them at that point. There wasn't anything that she could do. She knew that and they knew that. Dorcas absently rubbed at her temple again.

"Are you unwell?" Severus' low voice made her nerve endings thrum for just a moment.

"It's just a tension headache," Dorcas murmured softly, glancing around to make sure that they were alone. She breathed a soft sigh of relief and then turned to Severus. "I miss you."

"As I miss you," he murmured softly, his voice a whisper of silk along her ears. He stroked the back of her hand with just two fingers and she felt like flinging herself on him and debauching him in the library.

"Severus," she whispered and leaned toward him. He stiffened slightly and Dorcas pulled back, her eyes narrowing on his face. "Don't you want to kiss me?"

"I think of it often," he muttered under his breath, staring at her lips.

He leaned forward those few, scant inches and pressed his lips to hers. Kissing Severus wasn't like kissing anyone else. If a girl just looked at him, she might suppose he was cold and calculating and that his kisses were similar. Dorcas laughed at anyone who thought so. Severus' kisses were filled with burning passionate fire that threatened to consume her. Sometimes at night in her cold, lonely dorm bed she thought longingly of letting Severus' passion consume every last inch of her. She kissed him back just as passionately, letting him know for certain that she had just as much passionate fire as he did, thank you very much. He groaned into her mouth and she felt a little thrill of victory and chalked it up on her tally board. Any time that Dorcas was able to get Severus Snape to relinquish even a smidgeon of his ironclad control, she considered it a personal triumph. So far, his rotten self-control was winning, but Dorcas was confident that she would eventually be victorious. He pulled away and Dorcas scowled at him, marking a line under Self-Control on her mental tally board.

"I can't stay," he muttered, looking at her with those smoldering black eyes. Dorcas felt her belly tighten pleasantly.

"I know," she said with a little sigh. He sighed, too.

"Dorcas-," Severus said quietly. Then he saw something out of the corner of his eye and practically leapt away from her. He turned and pretending to be perusing the bookshelves.

"Snape, there you are," said a seventh year Slytherin that Dorcas knew only vaguely.

"Travers," Snape said and nodded his head with a careful politeness that made Dorcas nervous. This Travers must be a dangerous fellow for Severus to treat him so carefully, she decided. There was no sneer on his lip, no disdain in his eyes, and no sarcasm on his oh-so-kissable lips. Instead he was distant, but utterly polite and painfully courteous. She watched the two of them converse and then leave the library together; she frowned at their retreating figures.

"What game are you playing, Severus?" She whispered to herself. Then she gathered her books into her bag and hurried out of the library.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Right, so Gristlebacks' Theorem is really easy to remember, but don't forget Scamander's Defense. See here, in the third problem, it looks tricky but if you look closely you can see that the matrix is inverted," Hermione was explaining earnestly to Remus and Lily who nodded and looked very interested in what she had to say.

"Do you have any idea what she's talking about?" James demanded in a near whisper. Sirius glanced up from the Quidditch magazine he was reading.

"Solving magical emergencies using Arithmancy," Sirius said in a bored voice, "but she's completely ignoring Plimpton and Professor Caxton is going to mark her down for it. What? I pay attention."

"When it suits you," James whispered angrily. Sirius rolled his eyes and flipped a page.

"Sirius? James? Are you ready?" Hermione was calling to them and she had that irritated look on her face that meant that she'd actually been calling them for a couple minutes. James jumped to his feet and accidentally knocked Sirius down, who started swearing at him. Hermione had her hands on her hips and was tapping her foot at them.

"Yeah, we're ready," James said, helping Sirius to his feet and ignoring the dark mutterings of his boyfriend.

Moving swiftly through the halls, Hermione made her way towards the seventh floor. James and Sirius exchanged a look, but they both shrugged and continued to follow her. Hermione walked swiftly up and down the hall and James and Sirius followed her quietly into the room. She paced in the room for a bit, nibbling on her lower lip. Finally she stopped and looked at them.

"Right, what do you two want from me?" She asked. James and Sirius looked at one another and then looked at her.

"I'm not sure," James said after a few moments. Hermione frowned at him.

"You two have been pestering me to give a relationship between the three of us a chance," Hermione said slowly. "What did you expect that it would entail?"

"Erm," James said helplessly and then flushed. Hermione sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Let's talk about your past relationships," Hermione said quietly. "For a while, you two were together, but you would each date or sleep with any girls that appealed to you."

"Not other blokes though," James said firmly, shooting a dark look in Sirius' direction. Sirius rolled his eyes at James.

"I told you, _he_ hit on me," Sirius muttered at him. Hermione nodded.

"What was your understanding? What agreement did the two of you make?" Hermione asked curiously. Sirius rubbed the back of his neck.

"Um, that we were a couple. That James was my boyfriend and I was his. We could, er, sleep around with girls, but no guys. We had to come first. Our relationship was more important than anything else," Sirius said quietly. A flash of understanding entered Hermione's eyes and she nodded thoughtfully.

"And when you added girls like Heather Braintree to the mix?" Hermione asked slowly, her brow furrowing.

"We weren't sure how that would work," James said with a dull flush up his cheeks. "I can be sort of jealous, and I'd never watched Sirius with another person before. I wasn't sure I could handle it."

"Sort of jealous?" Sirius said incredulously, his grey eyes wide. James flushed darker and glared at his boyfriend.

"So…how did that work?" Hermione asked, not really wanting to hear the answer, but realizing that it was important to get all of this figured out between them.

"Well, we, er, we didn't love her or anything so it was just like sleeping with any other girl, except Prongs was there," Sirius said absently, thinking. "It was kind of hot to watch him, actually."

"I see," Hermione said slowly, not liking any of the answers she was getting so far. "So then I have to ask, why me? Wouldn't any other girl do just as well?"

"I can't explain it," James said with a frown. "I feel…drawn to you. The only other person I've ever felt like this around is Padfoot, and we've been inseparable since first year."

"It's the same for me," Sirius admitted with flushed cheeks. "Whenever you get close to me, you make my magic tingle."

"Okay, let me see if I understand this properly," Hermione said slowly, thinking through everything. "You both were drawn to each other almost immediately, which as eleven year old boys made you very close friends. Once you were old enough to figure out sex, etc. your relationship changed and you became lovers and then boyfriends. Now I've shown up and you feel the same sorts of sensations near me."

"You make it sound as though we don't really like you," Sirius said with a frown. Hermione frowned right back at him.

"Well, you've been hitting on me since I arrived here a year and a half ago," she pointed out drily. "You can't tell me that you really liked me back then."

"Oh," Sirius said softly and his eyes widened. "Well, that was because at the time I didn't know you, but I knew I was drawn to you. And…and I knew Prongs liked you and I figured if I liked you, too, then he wouldn't leave me."

"I see," Hermione said quietly in a distant voice, her eyes unfocused for a moment. James was staring at Sirius with a completely flummoxed expression.

"I love you, you git," James said gruffly. "I told you before that you can't get rid of me, and I'm not leaving you."

"I know that _now_, Prongs," Sirius said irritably and rolled his eyes. "I was just explaining why I flirted with Hermione in the beginning."

"So, James, why did you hit on me, in the beginning?" Hermione asked quietly. He flushed again.

"I don't know," he said in a small voice. "Whenever you came near I couldn't think, I just…I just reacted. I didn't mean to kiss you, I knew it wasn't right, but I did it anyway. There's something that pulls me to you. I usually know where you are in a room. It's the same feelings I have whenever I'm near Sirius."

"What he said," Sirius said firmly, nodding. "Only add in the fact that I was insecure about how Prongs felt about me."

"Huh," Hermione said absently, frowning at a wall. Then she turned and looked at both boys. "And now?"

"Well, now we know you much better," James said slowly.

"I like you," Sirius said with a decided air. Hermione nibbled her lip.

"I like you, too," James said softly.

Like, Hermione decided, was an ineffective word. It did not convey nuance or depth of feeling. A person could like the color blue. Did they like her the same way someone liked a color or a favorite pair of jeans? Did they feel more than that? She could almost hear the mocking laughter of Draco Malfoy and shook her head ruefully. Her time here had gone a long way to healing her heart and her mind. With each passing day she felt more normal, or as normal as a time-travelling witch with a werewolf for a brother can be. Could she love again? Was she capable? She thought longingly of her Harry. He wanted her to love again. Even Draco the unbelievable prat wanted her to be happy or he wouldn't have bothered to show up in her dream. Malfoys did everything with a purpose, even putting on their trousers. The description that James was providing about how he felt, and Sirius' similar feelings touched a chord within her. She had a strange feeling that Harry and Draco had been trying to tell her something. Marlene was certain of it—she had already alluded to the idea of the three of them being a triad. Unfortunately, she was fairly certain that Marlene was right.

"We must come to an agreement of our own," she said finally. "I am only willing to be a part of this if I am an equal member. I am willing to date the both of you, but you must consider my needs as equal to your own."

"What does that mean?" James asked with a frown. Hermione gave him a wry look.

"You two are intimate when I'm not present, yes?" Hermione pointed out. Both men nodded. "Then you need to understand and accept that I will be intimate with each of you when the other is not present. Of course, when we are all together I expect there may be shared intimacies and I have no problem with that, either."

"That…that sounds fair," James said slowly. Hermione just looked at him and he shrugged helplessly. "Do you like me, er, I mean us?"

"I feel for you what you feel for me," Hermione said at last. "I feel drawn to the both of you—you make my magic tingle. I like the both of you and I enjoy your company."

"That's good," Sirius said cautiously. He glanced at James and then turned back to Hermione. "Isn't it?"

"It's a beginning," Hermione temporized. "To make this work successfully we will all need to make sacrifices, compromise. Are you two capable of doing that?"

"I think so," James said quietly, his hazel eyes fixed on Hermione's face. She tilted her head at him.

"Very well," she said with a nod. Then she moved across the room to Sirius and began to kiss him.

When the hot, acidic spurt of jealousy failed to erupt inside him, James frowned. He watched Hermione straddle Sirius and kiss him senseless and all he felt were his balls tightening and his pulse accelerate. Sirius's fingers were buried in the riotous curls of Hermione's hair so that he could hold her still while he sucked on her lower lip. James shifted slightly. He knew how it felt when Sirius sucked on his lower lip and nibbled at it. Why wasn't he jealous? Shouldn't he care that Hermione was the one who was making Sirius look flushed and disheveled? Shouldn't he be angry that Sirius' hands had disappeared up Hermione's shirt and she was making breathy moans and gasping every so often? He wasn't. He did, however, long to be in the middle of everything that was happening. He didn't like feeling left out. He didn't like the slightly bereft feeling he was currently experiencing. Hermione and Sirius turned at the same time and looked at him with heavy lidded eyes. Sirius held out a hand and Hermione's lips curved into a pleased smirk when he took it. Hermione pulled his head down and captured his lips in a heated kiss. Sirius started nibbling and sucking on his neck and James decided that coherent thought was a bit beyond him at this point.

/\/\/\/\/\

Broom closets are not as roomy as one might suppose. Lily had overheard muffled stories from boys and girls during her two years as Prefect and this last year as Head Girl and she had assumed that the feats of acrobatic and gymnastic skills that she'd listened in on were taking place in a slightly larger space. Really, Neelia Boot's story from fifth year _had_ to be made up. It wasn't possible. Was it? She'd only heard the last bit of the story so she knew that Boot had been describing some sort sexual calisthenics that had taken place between her and some unnamed boy.

"Lily?" Remus said hesitantly, his amber eyes watching her warily. "Why are you glaring at the wall?"

"It's rather small in here," Lily said flatly. Remus' eyebrows rose.

"I was just going to kiss you," he said slowly. Lily's frown grew more pronounced and Remus stared at her in surprise. "Lily?"

"Do you think it's possible to have sex in here?" Lily demanded suddenly. Remus choked slightly and turned red.

"Lily!"

"Oh! Not us, Remus! Oh, I mean, I overheard Neelia Boot, a Ravenclaw in the year ahead of us, you remember her? Anyway, she was telling a story about a broom closet and well, it's not possible, is it?" Lily rambled helplessly, turning pink. Remus just stared at her. He knew that particular story quite well, as he happened to be one of the participants. He rather hoped that Lily did not know that as she could be wildly jealous.

"Er," Remus said faintly, his eyes wide.

"Oh, never mind," Lily mumbled irritably. She looked up at him hopefully. "Kiss me?"

"I'd love to," Remus murmured and pulled her close.

/\/\/\/\/\

_The view from the astronomy tower was sweeping and beautiful, which was probably why students liked to come up here to be alone. Hermione remembered many nights just sitting here and looking at the stars. Her eyes went unerringly to Orion and she bit her lip. James didn't have his own constellation, but he reminded her a lot of Sagittarius, the archer. Was this normal? Was this safe? Should she even be doing this?_

"_I thought we already talked about this," Harry said with a heavy sigh. Hermione let one shoulder rise and then drop slightly. _

"_We did," she agreed. His arms slid around her and pulled her back against his chest. They stood there, looking out at the inky black night and the stars scattered carelessly across the sky, and she felt a sense of peace and calm that pervaded her very being. _

"_You must be careful," his lips murmured close to her ear. _

"_What, about James and Sirius?" Hermione said in surprise. He shook his head, his green eyes focused on her face. _

"_He's coming for you," Harry said quietly, his emerald eyes angry, but she saw the flicker of fear for her. _

"_Who? Voldemort?" Hermione demanded, worry flooding her. He shook his head and frustration was visible in the lines of his body, the way he held himself._

"_No," Harry said flatly, shaking his head again. He sighed. "Be careful, Hermione, please."_

"_Anything for you, Harry," Hermione said solemnly and they both knew that she spoke the simple truth._

/\/\/\/\/\

"Who's coming for you?" Marlene asked thoughtfully, her lips pursed in concentration.

"I don't know," Hermione admitted. "Not Voldemort. Harry practically rolled his eyes at me. You know, after a while you assume that everything is Voldemort. You sort of forget that there are a lot of other people out there and it's a statistical probability that some of them are right bastards."

"True," Marlene admitted. Voldemort usually did get the blame for everything, regardless of whether or not he was actually involved. That left the burning question: who was coming for Hermione? Hermione groaned and her head hit the table with a loud thunk. She looked up at Marlene and batted her eyes.

"Sneak into Hogsmeade with me? We'll go get some of that Elven wine you love and some chocolate from Honeydukes," Hermione wheedled shamelessly. Marlene eyed her suspiciously.

"Is a bottle of Ogden's going to slip its way into our shopping bag?" Marlene asked astutely. Hermione tried to look innocent.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Hermione said airily. The pretty blonde gave decidedly unladylike snort.

"Fine, let's sneak off to Hogsmeade," Marlene said with a sigh. Hermione grinned.

"Excellent! I have Lily distracting Remus and Dorcas is grilling James and Sirius about their intentions towards me. That should give us a chance to sneak out of the castle," Hermione said with a determined air.

Silently, the two Gryffindor girls slipped through the castle and snuck across the halls. Marlene stifled the urge to giggle. Both girls didn't notice the figure lurking in the shadows that appeared to be following them. They moved quickly and easily and he had to hurry to keep up with them. He glanced back once at the strange detour they'd taken, but then he sighed heavily and turned resolutely toward Hermione and Marlene and followed them. He jogged a bit to catch up with them. Suddenly Hermione and Marlene whirled around their wands trained on him. He took a step back, his eyes wide in surprise. Both girls frowned at him.

"Regulus!" Hermione hissed at him. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"I was taking a walk," he said calmly, daring one of them to call him a liar. Hermione quirked a brow at him, and Marlene just looked at him.

"Oh, really?" Marlene asked drily. He flushed. Hermione was frowning at him. She threw up her hands and made a disgusted sound.

"Oh, fine! Come along then," she snapped. Regulus walked quietly next to Marlene and listened to the two girls talk.

"Yes, but have you thought about Plimpton's rebuttal? Caxton likes to harp on that, and if you don't account for it, he'll mark you down," Marlene was arguing with her friend, her blue eyes alight with pleasure. Hermione looked just as interested, her amber eyes glowing with intelligence. Regulus listened silently, enjoying their rapidfire patter and their biting wit.

"Plimpton was an idiot," Hermione said tersely. "It's a miracle that he managed to set quill to parchment."

Soon they came out of the secret tunnel and Regulus followed the girls willingly into Honeydukes and picked up a small bag of ice mice for himself. They then entered a small, nondescript shop that he'd never noticed before. He realized once he entered the store that that may have been on purpose. This tiny establishment sold various types of wizarding alcohol and Marlene and Hermione seemed to know their way around pretty well. He frowned when he spotted a dusty bottle of Eilorian mead. It was marked incorrectly as Elven wine, but Regulus could read Eilorian easily and this was clearly mead, not wine. Still, Eilorian mead was crippingly expensive and he was more than willing to pay the few sickles they wanted for a bottle of 'Elven wine'. He grabbed the entire case and hauled it to the front. Hermione's eyebrows rose in surprise, but then a calculating look entered her eyes. She picked up a bottle and frowned at it. She glanced at Regulus and he gave her a tiny nod. She smirked at him.

"I believe that this, er, Elven wine, Marlene's bottle of Elven wine there and the bottle of Ogden's will be the lot," Hermione said blandly and plunked the money down on the counter. The shopkeeper murmured something polite and they carted their treasure outside. Hermione carefully wrapped and shrank the alcohol, handed Regulus his case of mead and tucked her own purchases into her purse.

"Excellent eye, Black," Hermione congratulated him. He shrugged.

"Being a Black offers a certain sort of education," he muttered. Hermione gave him a knowing look. He was startled to realize that there was no condemnation in her face. Rather she seemed quietly sympathetic.

"What were you doing lurking about the grounds?" Marlene asked him curiously. His jaw tightened.

"I don't like being in the dorms right now," he muttered quietly. Hermione seemed to understand what he wasn't saying. She nodded. Marlene was watching him and he hoped the darkness hid his embarrassed flush.

"It was nice to have you along," Marlene said gently. She eyed him and gave him a small bittersweet smile. "Almost like old times."

"Okay, you have explain that one," Hermione teased. Marlene grinned at her.

"Well, the McKinnon family is an old pureblood family, and my mum was a school chum of Mrs. Black's," Marlene explained. Hermione blinked.

"Your mum was in Slytherin?" Hermione asked incredulously. Marlene nodded cheerfully.

"When we were all small, we used to play together," Marlene explained. "I used to adore Reggie. I always made him pretend to be my husband. Sirius was always our loud, noisy child."

"Isn't Regulus the youngest?" Hermione asked hesitantly. Marlene snorted.

"You wouldn't know it by their behavior. Reggie has always been the more mature brother," Marlene said firmly.

"I am standing right here," he said in a much aggrieved voice. Both women turned to him and smiled and they both patted him on the arm in a way he could not stand—as though he were a small, contumacious child that must be appeased.

"Of course you are," Hermione said soothingly. "Now, let's head back before—augh!"

Out of the darkness of the night, _something_ leapt toward Hermione and she gave a pained shriek as she hit the ground. Regulus didn't even think, he ran towards Hermione and he could feel Marlene by his side. The both of them cast stupefy at the same time and the whatever it was was stunned. Hermione was acting rather oddly; she was whimpering and gasping for air, her eyes wide and staring. An unconscious man, probably a wizard, was slumped over her. Regulus and Marlene pulled him off of her and turned to look at him. They didn't recognize him at all, but Hermione seemed to do so. She scrambled away from him and practically crawled into Regulus' lap, whimpering and doing that weird hitched breathing thing. Marlene secured the strange wizard and then they turned and went back to Hogsmeade as quickly as they could, Regulus carrying Hermione.

Hurrying through Hogwarts carrying a shaking, twitching Hermione was entirely out of Regulus' frame of reference. She was clutching his robes and trying to suck in lungsful of air, but she seemed to be unable to get enough. Her hands were shaking and her fear was almost palpable. He followed Marlene to the Gryffindor tower where she gave the password and then held the portrait open so that he could carry Hermione in.

"R-r-r-," Hermione whimpered and Marlene nodded.

"REMUS!" Marlene bellowed at the top of her lungs. Remus came tearing down the stairs, but he stopped for a moment and sniffed the air. His eyes went completely golden and they glowed for just a moment before he _jumped_ off the stairs to land next to Regulus. He snatched Hermione from Regulus and clutched her to his chest.

James, Sirius and Peter had hurried down the stairs and they tried to approach Remus who snarled at them before turning his attention back to his sister. She was still whimpering and gasping, and it looked as though she were trying to burrow into Remus. He shifted her in a practiced manoeuver and pushed her face into his neck. She gasped against his neck and it seemed to calm her down. Soon she was just clinging to him and still whimpering. James and Sirius quickly dispersed the students in the common area with help from Lily, Dorcas and Marlene. Several of the students cast odd glances at Hermione, but they left after Marlene made up a convincing story about Hermione being frightened by Peeves. Regulus stood to one side and felt very much in the way.

"G-g-g-," Hermione was trying to speak, her fingers clutching spasmodically at her brother's sweater. His arms tightened about her.

"I know," he growled, his voice rough with fury. "I can smell his stink all over you."

"Who was it?" Marlene whispered. "He just—he jumped out and tried to grab Hermione. It took me and Reggie to stun him."

"Greyback," Remus snarled angrily and the Marauders stiffened to a man.

"Not the same one that…that…you know," Peter ventured timidly, his watery eyes fixed worriedly on his friend. Remus' arms closed convulsively around his sister again. He was growling low in his throat, but it was a constant sound and he seemed to hunch over her protectively.

"Oh!" Marlene gasped staring at Hermione. "He's coming! That's what your Harry said, isn't it?"

"_Your_ Harry?" James' voice was harsh and he was frowning darkly at Hermione and the same time that Sirius demanded: "Who's Harry?"

"He's her friend," Marlene explained. "He tried to send her a message."

"What kind of friend?" Sirius asked suspiciously. Marlene rolled her eyes at him and gestured to Hermione.

"She's obviously not able to answer your ridiculously jealous questions at the moment, you great gits," Marlene snapped. Regulus snorted and the Marauders' attention turned to him. Remus nodded his head at him.

"Thank you," he said feelingly. "If you hadn't been with Marlene—I can't even think about that right now."

"It was my privilege," Regulus said formally. Sirius rolled his eyes at him, but Marlene beamed at him and made his chest feel tight.

The idea of Hermione being apart from Remus was unacceptable to the both of them, so Hermione slept in her brother's bed. She started to panic when he put her in his bed so he crawled into it with her and held her tightly. She had nightmares that night and woke screaming, Remus clutching her and babbling soothing nonsense to calm her down.

"I've got you," he murmured into her hair. "I'm right here, love. Sirius and James are here, too."

"Sirius and James?" Hermione's voice was hoarse from screaming, but both boys scrambled out of their bed and moved closer to Remus' bed.

"We're right here, Hermione," James said softly. Her fingers stretched out and Sirius and James caught at her hand.

"Remus," Hermione whispered and the fear was back in her voice. "He's coming for me. That's what Harry said. He's coming for me."

"Who is this Harry?" Remus asked, concern in his eyes. Hermione gave him a sad smile.

"A guardian angel," she said softly, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it was sort of true. Harry watched over her even though he was dead. What did that make him?

"A guardian angel?" The Marauders were all frowning. Hermione sighed.

"He's dead. He comes to me in my dreams," Hermione explained in a voice that was raw with strain and emotion. Remus looked sad for a moment.

"He…he was from the other place?" Remus asked gently. Hermione gave him a short nod.

"He's not an ex-boyfriend, is he?" James asked darkly. Hermione just looked at him.

"No."

"Well all right then," Sirius said mildly.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Thank you, for watching over her and keeping her safe," Sirius said quietly. Regulus looked up from his homework and stared at his brother.

"You're welcome," Regulus replied. "She is a good person, you are very lucky."

"I am," Sirius agreed calmly. Regulus quirked a brow at him.

"That serious?" Regulus asked curiously. Sirius looked at him for several moments and then nodded. Regulus' eyes widened in shock. "Wow."

/\/\/\/\/\


	10. Deceptions

_A/N: No, I haven't forgotten about you all. I really, truly am working. And trying to ignore my poxy muse which keeps whispering really deranged ideas to me. She's obviously been sipping the absinthe. Or expired milk or something._

_/\/\/\/\/\_

"_I told you, but did you listen to me? Nooo. We have to follow the rules, Draco. We can't screw with fate, Draco. She'll figure it out, Draco," the blond ranted furiously as he stalked back and forth in the RoR's DA practice room. Hermione blinked in surprise. She knew this room intimately, but it was odd to see Draco Malfoy in it. _

"_You were right, I was wrong. Is __**that**__ what you wanted to hear?" Harry bit out angrily between clenched teeth. Draco snorted in irritation._

"_Well, it's a bloody good start at least, Potter," Draco growled. _

"_Listen to me, Malfoy," Harry growled back. Hermione frowned. It was as though they weren't even aware that she was in the room. That couldn't be right, could it? _

"_Erm," she tried to catch Harry's eye, but he was far too busy glaring furiously at Draco. If looks could kill, that glare ought to have melted a hole in his skull. She cleared her throat…loudly…and both men turned to look at her in surprise. Draco smirked at her. _

"_Having fun, yet, love?" He purred at her suggestively. She rolled her eyes at him. _

"_Why are you doing this?" She demanded. Both men looked confused. "I mean—I know why Harry would do it, he loves me, but why are you doing this Draco?"_

"_Right," Draco said coolly, his jaw tightening in anger. Harry frowned at Draco and then turned to look at Hermione. _

"_Well, at the moment there isn't much for us to do," Harry told her with a slight smile. "We were offered the opportunity to help and support you and we took it."_

"_What, the two of you?" Hermione said in surprise. Draco had turned away and was currently showing them his back. He turned around at that to give her a scathing look._

"_I didn't realize that you thought so little of me," he said flatly. Hermione frowned at him._

"_Draco, it isn't that I think so little of you, it's just…why on earth would you want to set me up in a relationship with your cousin Sirius and Harry's dad?" Hermione tried to explain. He shrugged with a nonchalance that seemed forced. _

"_I want you to be happy just as much as Harry does," Draco said petulantly. "You'll notice your weasel isn't here."_

"_Ron wasn't happy about the idea of you being with James and Sirius," Harry explained and flushed pink with embarrassment._

"_Prejudiced git," Draco muttered irritably. Hermione turned and stared at Draco with wide eyes and then turned to Harry who was trying to hide a smile._

"_Yes, well," Harry continued, "so we're here until we're reborn. Or born for the first time. Or born in this time line. Oh, hell, diverging time lines wreak havoc with things like this. Anyway, you've got us for a bit, but not for forever. We're not supposed to approach you unless something important is happening, but Draco and I have differing opinions about 'important'." _

"_What, so, being attacked by Greyback is just a minor kerfuffle now?" Draco demanded. "Gee, I'll go tell Lupin, Curse Breaker Weasley and the Brown girl, shall I?"_

"_Don't be an arse," Harry snapped. "I just meant that Hermione knows how to take care of herself."_

"_I agree in principle, but you weren't there, listening to the bastard ramble on and on about Granger at Malfoy Manor," Draco said firmly, his hands clenching at his sides. "He's obsessed with her, and he didn't even know she was Lupin's sister. He's insane and we have no idea what he might do."_

"_We are restricted in what we're allowed to tell you," Harry said with a grimace of distaste. Draco snorted and rolled his eyes. _

"_I say rules be damned," Draco said coolly and examined his nails. Hermione and Harry exchanged a look and then they both smiled at one another. Then Hermione's face fell a bit and she bit her lip. _

"_Greyback," she said hesitantly. Draco scowled and Harry's face grew forbidding. _

"_He's dangerous," Harry said cautiously. _

"_He's got your scent now," Draco warned her. "He'll know you're the lost Lupin that he was cheated out of before, and that's going to drive him crazy. You'll have to be extremely careful, Hermione."_

"_If my association with you two has taught me anything, it has been to be careful," Hermione said drily. _

"_Just so you know, we're not supposed to intrude on your life this much. Draco started a fight with me to distract me so that he could pull you in here," Harry said tightly, with an intense glare for the former Slytherin who had the audacity to smirk at him. _

"_Ah," Hermione said with a little nod. She had wondered about that. _

"_Well excuse me for wanting Hermione to live. I could just let her die and then we'd have her again," Draco pointed out with a sneer. Harry's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared and he opened his mouth to say something, but then he snapped it shut. _

"_Oh, bugger, he's right," Harry groused irritably. Draco smirked again. Harry turned to her. "I'm sorry love, but I've got to send you back. I'm trying to save up until you really need me."_

"_I understand," she replied. _

"_Until she really needs __**us**__," Draco corrected Harry who sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. _

"_Try and encourage Remus and my mum to shag like bunnies, yeah?" Harry asked plaintively. Draco made an indignant noise._

"_Are you trying to be born before me? You cheater!" Draco protested vehemently. _

Hermione woke suddenly and gasped, sitting up and clutching at the front of her sleep shirt. James and Sirius mumbled a protest and pulled her back down between them. She wriggled back under the blanket and tried to get comfortable. Instead, she ended up staring at the ceiling of the boys' dorm. As Hermione Granger, Greyback had frightened her in a much more immediate way than Voldemort had done. Perhaps it was because she had never really faced Voldemort by herself, he had always been determined to kill Harry. Voldemort had been more of a periphery evil in her life. Greyback, though, he was an imminent threat to Hermione Granger at Malfoy Manor. She shuddered reflexively and Sirius and James' arms tightened about her. Greyback fueled no few of her more terrifying nightmares. To think that he might start to come after her, to track her, scared her more than she'd like to admit. Greyback had been instrumental in turning Draco, not that he knew that or would have taken any pride in the matter. Draco may have made her life a living hell in school, but even he couldn't stand the thought of someone like Greyback, insane and sadistic in a way that rivaled his Aunt Bellatrix, getting Hermione as a 'prize'. The fact that Draco had inadvertently seen Greyback with a previous 'prize' only cemented the idea in his brain that getting Hermione out of Malfoy Manor was the only decent thing he could do. He had secretly contacted Harry and helped sneak Hermione out of the Manor. He had come along as well because it wouldn't take a genius to realize that the only way passed the wards was to be a Malfoy, and there was no way in hell that his father was helping to rescue doomed mudbloods. It would have been obvious who had let the girl escape, and his dear Auntie would have cheerfully murdered him and offered up his body to Voldemort as an appeasement.

"Hrm?" James mumbled sleepily. Hermione pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder.

"I'm fine, go back to sleep," she whispered softly.

"Nrah," James sighed and threw a leg over her, cuddling her close.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Oyez! Oyez! I now call to order the Guild of Witches! Come forward and be heard!"

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Lily, the first years can probably hear you!" Dorcas said in disgust. Lily's excited face fell a little and she looked contritely toward their dorm door.

"It will be fine, I've warded and sealed it," Marlene said confidently and Lily perked back up.

"Excellent, now the old business from our last mee-," there was a sharp knock at the door, which interrupted Lily. She became silent and turned to Dorcas and Marlene who were frowning and listening. What followed was a complex pattern that Lily had trouble following, but made Marlene and Dorcas grin at one another.

"It's about bloody time," Dorcas said tartly and Marlene nodded before she waved her wand, momentarily lowering the wards and unsealing the door. Hermione popped her head around the door and quirked a brow at the group sprawled on their individual beds.

"Sorry I'm late. Got into an argument with some Hufflepuff who has a crush on James," Hermione apologized as she limped into the room. The girls gasped in shock and Hermione was shoved onto the nearest bed so that they could examine her injuries.

"It's not on the hip with your tattoo, thank Merlin!" Marlene said fervently as she examined the nasty hex mark on Hermione's hip.

"The girl obviously couldn't hex her way out of a wet paper bag," Dorcas sneered as she did a quick low-level diagnostic spell that was the equivalent of muggle first aid. "What is this supposed to be a cutting hex?"

"Seriously? All you can worry about is her _tattoo_?" Lily demanded. Marlene rolled her eyes at the red head.

"Well, yes, Lils it is. I mean, if the stupid bint had messed up Hermione's tattoo we wouldn't match anymore," Marlene snapped angrily. Hermione snorted in amusement and then hissed in pain when Dorcas prodded her gently.

"Watch it there, Meadows," Hermione growled. Dorcas ignored her.

"I think it was meant to be boils. Damned shoddy hexing if I do say so, I think you need to see Pomfrey. It may have done some internal damage," Dorcas said firmly. Hermione paled slightly, but her face took on a mulish cast.

"I don't need to go to the Infirmary," Hermione said flatly. Marlene and Dorcas just looked at her while Lily ranted about the dangers of improper hexing, which Hermione already knew forwards and backwards because she'd read the same book Lily was quoting from.

"You know that you do, Lupin, I don't know why you're trying to argue the point," Marlene said drily. Hermione made an irritated sound in her throat.

"Oh, Hermione, the idiot girl was probably just jealous because you are shagging James and Sirius rotten every night. Who wouldn't be?" Dorcas teased her gently. A dull flush crept up Hermione's cheeks and Dorcas shrieked. "Merlin's beard! You haven't shagged them? Why ever not?"

"I'm not quite ready," Hermione said faintly, her blush growing darker. Lily frowned at her.

"You aren't ready? What about Colin from this last summer? And that Mr. Malfoy you practically drooled on?" Lily demanded. Hermione sighed.

"Look, Colin was…stress release, okay? Oh, don't give me that look, Evans. I—I've been through a lot, okay? I've lived through…hell, really. Those people, the ones that say War is hell, they're not wrong. I've seen families slaughtered, children raped, people tortured just for the hell of it. That does something to a person, okay? When I came here…I was just grateful to be alive and to have Remus. I hadn't even considered anything like James and Sirius, hell I wasn't sure I was capable of being in a relationship. I'm screwed up, Evans." Hermione's words tumbled over themselves in an effort to escape her lips. Lily glanced at Marlene and Dorcas and saw the sad acceptance in their eyes. They knew what Death Eaters could do. Lily hadn't really had a chance to see any of that up close, but she knew in theory that it could be bad.

"You said you weren't sure if you were capable of love," Marlene said softly, with an understanding expression. "Do you still feel that way?"

"Oh, Marlene," Hermione said with a sad sigh. She shifted and then winced with pain when her hip twinged. "I'm trying. I truly am trying. I just…it's difficult, and with James and Sirius it would mean so much more than Colin."

"I don't understand," Lily said slowly. "How can you help whether or not you love? I mean, you just do…don't you?"

"In Hermione's case it would be more her allowing herself to be that vulnerable, that exposed. Love makes you open yourself up and there is a possibility of pain, heartbreak, betrayal," Dorcas said quietly, her eyes unfocused. Hermione and Marlene exchanged a look; they both knew that their friend was thinking not of Hermione, but of Severus.

"You don't think that James or Sirius would hurt you?" Lily asked in surprise. Hermione squinted at Lily.

"This is rather a reversal of your previous opinion of both boys, is it not?" Hermione replied. Lily shrugged and flushed.

"They've gotten better," Lily said mildly. She plucked at her jumper and then said softly: "I think you've been good for the both of them."

"As much fun as this is, you really do need to go to the Infirmary," Dorcas said firmly.

"Definitely," Marlene agreed.

The walk to the Infirmary seemed interminably long to Hermione, who was forced to limp painfully every step of the way and she spent that time thinking rather dark thoughts about the Hufflepuff girl. Due to her experiences, Hermione tended to have a hair-trigger wand hand, and she expected that her adversary was most likely already in the infirmary. She hadn't done anything too dark or terrible. She'd just made the girl swell like a balloon and cursed her hair to fall out. Really, it was mild compared to what she would have done to a Death Eater. Unpleasant, oh my yes, but hardly painful or life-threatening.

"Miss Lupin!" Madame Pomfrey shrieked and ran toward the knot of Gryffindor girls. "What on earth has happened?"

"Faulty hexing," Dorcas said loudly with a glare toward the bed that the Hufflepuff girl occupied. "I believe it was meant to be boils, but as you can see it was cast improperly and we're worried that it has caused some deeper damage."

"Oh my," Madame Pomfrey said worriedly and she helped Hermione over to an empty bed. "Badly done wandwork can cause the worst damage. Oh dear, that may leave a nasty scar. Let me get some potions for you dear."

The next hour saw Madame Pomfrey working carefully over Hermione, trying to undo the damage of the improperly cast hex. Dorcas, Marlene and Lily stayed the entire time and spent most of it either taking turns holding Hermione's hand or shooting vicious glares at the Hufflepuff and muttering about whether or not the hexes Hermione had sent back at her were 'enough'. The Hufflepuff had paled dramatically and had escaped the confines of the Infirmary.

"Madame Pomfrey?" Regulus Black's aristocratic voice sounded uncertain, as though he wasn't quite sure that she was present. Madame Pomfrey huffed slightly and directed Dorcas and Lily to focus on the deep tissue damage, saying that she would be back in just a moment.

"By the cauldron of Cerridwen, Black, what on earth have you done to yourself now?" Pomfrey demanded tartly. There was a shuffling of feet and then Black's voice, embarrassment clear in his tone.

"I had to catch the snitch," he explained. "I just sort of crashed into one of the towers on the pitch."

"Oh for the love of—you lot are going to be the death of me," Pomfrey muttered darkly. "Marlene, dear? You've got a hand free, could you come help me with this stubborn fool?"

"Of course, Madame Pomfrey," Marlene said sweetly and she stepped out from behind Hermione's privacy screens. Pomfrey handed her a small tub and a bottle of potion.

"Slap this unguent on any open abrasions or lacerations," Pomfrey instructed her sharply. "Make sure they're clean first. That's what the potion is for. When he's done, just send him back to his dorm."

"Yes ma'am," Marlene said with a sunny smile. Madame Pomfrey disappeared behind the privacy screens again and Regulus' eyes widened when he heard a muffled oath and Pomfrey apologizing.

"Who's behind that screen?" Regulus asked quietly. Marlene peeked up at him through her long, blonde lashes.

"Hermione," she said just as softly. He frowned and turned toward the privacy screens, but Marlene shook her head at him. "Come on, robe off. Let's see the damage."

Sitting half-naked on one of the Infirmary's hospital beds with Marlene McKinnon's small hands rubbing unguent into his skin was not on Regulus' list of planned activities for that day, but he was by no means complaining. He was glad that he had an exercise regimen for Quidditch; he decided when he saw the gleam of appreciation in her china-blue eyes as her fingers caressed a laceration on his bicep. The Blacks tended toward wiry frames, rather than bulky muscles, but that didn't mean that they didn't have muscle as Regulus' body could easily attest. Marlene's fingers seemed to linger perhaps longer than they needed to, and Regulus felt a strange fluttering in his stomach when she moved near enough that he could smell her shampoo.

"Regulus," Marlene murmured in a husky voice, her eyes staring deeply into his.

"Yes," he whispered, staring right back. She shifted away from him and he wanted to pull her back, feel her warmth next to him and smell the scent of her shampoo again.

"I'm done," she said gently. He frowned at her.

"Oh," he said, staring at his arms and chest. She gave him a small smile.

"Best go on back to your dorm, Reg," Marlene said quietly. He glared at her.

"I'm not a first year," he muttered at her. She smirked at him and eyed his chest some more.

"No, I'd say not," she agreed.

He flushed with resentment. He thought about grabbing her and kissing her, but he wasn't that sort of man. Instead, he turned and grabbed his shirt and put it back on. A quick flick of his wand repaired the damage crashing into the tower caused and he shrugged into his robe. He paused, shifting from foot to foot and looking adorably uncertain, but then he gave her a small nod, turned, and left the Infirmary. Marlene stood there for a moment before she turned and slipped behind the privacy screen.

"Black's all right?" Pomfrey asked tersely. Marlene nodded and turned back to Hermione who was regarding them all unhappily. She turned to Marlene sharply.

"Black?" Hermione asked. Marlene shook her head.

"Not yours," she said quietly. Hermione relaxed slightly.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Regulus said that Hermione was hurt," Severus murmured quietly, his voice pitched low enough that no one else could hear. Dorcas sat up sharply, startled by the suddenness of his voice. She looked up into those obsidian eyes and felt her heart lurch. _Every bloody time, the bastard_.

"Stupid bint who took exception to Potter not wanting to plow her field anymore," Dorcas muttered at him. Severus' silky black brows rose in surprise and Dorcas bit her lip to keep from smiling at his expression.

"Ah," Severus said and spread his hands on the table.

Dorcas looked at those long, elegant, pale fingers and thought about the way those hands felt on her skin. Severus cleared his throat quietly and she looked up at him, her mouth dry and her pupils dilated with desire. He made a noise, she wasn't sure if it was a groan or a whimper and then she was being pulled into his lap and kissed senseless. His tongue, Merlin his tongue, invaded her mouth and quickly took charge. Those nimble fingers were busy as well; one hand slid up and tangled in her hair and the other was on her hip, holding her firmly in place on his lap.

"Severus," she whimpered when his lips migrated to her throat. Her hands fisted in his inky black hair, holding him there. Apparently, that was his stupid self-control's cue to take over again. He set her away from him, back in her own chair and tidied his appearance.

"I beg your—"

"Don't," she snapped and her voice was harsher than she had meant it to be. He flinched and then nodded.

"We graduate in a few months," Severus observed quietly. Dorcas scowled at the table surface in front of her.

"Will that make a difference?" She muttered. A small sigh, almost too quiet to be heard—more felt, really, and she glanced guiltily toward him to find him watching her with an almost tender expression.

"Not in the way I feel for you," he said softly, "but perhaps in the way I am able to express it."

"I see," she said coolly, examining his words from every angle, including the Slytherin angle. She tilted her head at him. "It would be nice, if that were to occur."

"You would not be opposed…to being seen with me in public?" Severus asked carefully. There was a vulnerability in his tone, an uncertainness that made her both violently angry and incredibly sad.

"No, you great git, I would not," Dorcas said flatly. Severus' lips twitched.

"I believe that Hermione is rubbing off on you," he observed quietly. Dorcas snorted.

"If that were so, you would be naked and restrained to the top of this table and I'd be riding you like an amazon," Dorcas said bluntly, her frustration pushing her to needle him. He stared at her, his eyes burning into her, branding her.

"Dorcas," he whispered hoarsely. She sighed.

"I know, you have to go," she said quietly. He nodded and rose silently. His lips brushed her hair and she leaned into their warmth for just a moment before he was gone, moving through the stacks swiftly. She pouted after him. "Git."

/\/\/\/\/\

"Why is it that the entire school knows that you were hurt, but I do not?" Remus asked tightly, trying to keep his temper. Hermione looked up from the book Lily had brought to her and sighed.

"Well, I don't believe that James or Sirius know either, so it is not the entire school," Hermione pointed out. He glared at her, his eyes flashing amber.

"Don't split hairs with me, Hermione," he snarled. He moved closer and leaned toward her, sniffing her scent hesitantly. He seemed to relax slightly, but he was still frowning. "Who did this?"

"It's been taken care of, Remus," Hermione said firmly. His eyes narrowed and he just looked at her for several moments. Then he nodded.

"Your girls?" He asked finally. Hermione smiled at him and it was a genuine, happy smile.

"My friends," she agreed softly. Remus smirked and Hermione quirked a brow at him.

"The four of you are far more scary than the Marauders," Remus said with satisfaction. "Lily's vindictive streak is a mile wide."

"Yes, well, I'm sure Dorcas and Marlene restrained her from doing anything too awful," Hermione said cautiously. Remus snorted in amusement. Then he leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

"Are you sure that you are all right?" He asked; worry shining through in his eyes. Hermione smiled sweetly at her brother and touched his arm gently.

"Yes, Remus, I'm sure. Madam Pomfrey took care of everything. She says that I most likely won't even have any scarring," Hermione said confidently.

"You do realize that James and Sirius are going to have a collective temper tantrum the likes of which Hogwarts has never seen?" Remus asked curiously. Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"It was a girl, Remus, they're not going to hex a girl," Hermione said confidently. Remus shrugged.

"Somehow, I doubt they'll give a damn," Remus said bluntly. Then he frowned down at his baby sister. "She hurt you. They'll not forgive that, Hermione. I won't either, when it comes down to it."

"That poor girl," Hermione murmured absently. Remus' frown grew darker.

"That poor girl nothing," he snapped. "Her shoddy technique could have seriously hurt you! Why the deranged tart would imagine that hurting you would give James a hard on for her is beyond me!"

"What a disturbing mental picture," Hermione retorted.

"Well, seriously," Remus huffed irritably. "Whoever decided that that was the way to get someone's attention? Physically harming someone I care about isn't likely to make _me _horny, and I rather doubt it's a common fetish."

"Oh, ew!" Hermione moaned and covered her face with her pillow. Remus just sat there and looked aggravated. His face softened and he reached out to push her hair out of her face.

"Just take care of yourself, yeah?" He said softly. She nodded.

"I promise, big brother," she said solemnly. A goofy grin plastered itself on his face and he leaned over and kissed her forehead again.

"Get some rest," he ordered and she stuck her tongue out at him. "I mean it, Hermione!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Hermione saluted him mockingly and then pretended to instantly fall asleep.

"Cheeky brat," he said fondly. He tucked her in gently and then left the Infirmary.

/\/\/\/\/\

If anyone had asked her two or three years ago what her future held, Lily Evans would have had to shrug helplessly. Severus' feeling for her made her feel awkward and uncertain because she had not been able to return them with the same depth or intensity—she was eternally grateful that he and Dorcas seemed to be totally involved with one another because she hoped that her childhood friend might have his own happy ending. James Potter's loud, public avowals had embarrassed her, and when she had been younger she had vehemently denied ever marrying the prat. Her quiet friend Remus has been a lighthouse in the storm for her. He was the rock that she clung to as she tried to avoid the pitfalls labeled 'Severus' and 'James', but he seemed unwilling to give more than friendship. As she grew older, she started to become resigned to her situation. Remus was always at the forefront of her mind and heart, but Potter's public claiming of her had caused the quieter boy to pull back. He had treated her with courteous deference, but nothing more than that. She could feel him watching her sometimes, and she in turn would track his progress across the grounds from her dorm room window. It had felt as though there were a great wall between them; a wall that could not be seen and could not be scaled that separated the two of them from one another. Her heart had ached, but she assumed it was a one-sided affection and kept her head down and her thoughts to herself. Now, Lily looked to the future, saw herself with Remus by her side, and felt her heart expand to overflowing. James had Sirius and now Hermione. Severus had Dorcas. She was free to love the boy she'd quietly adored for years, and her future seemed assuredly bright. Anti-werewolf legislation was problematic, but Lily was convinced that they would be able to make a life for themselves somewhere. Maybe they could move to France. Hermione had said something about the laws there being less strict and more egalitarian.

"They have magical schools in France, don't they?" Lily asked suddenly. Remus was sprawled across one of the couches in the common room with his head in Lily's lap. He looked up at his girlfriend in surprise.

"Yeah, of course," Sirius said from behind his latest copy of _The Quibbler_. He frowned at her over the newspaper. "Why? Does that Hufflepuff think that if she transfers schools she'll be safe?"

"No," Lily said firmly. "I was just asking. What sort of schools are they?"

"Well, in France proper there's Beauxbatons, of course. I've got several cousins that go there," Sirius said thoughtfully. He glanced at Remus and then at James. "I think Remus and James might have cousins that go there as well."

"I think I have a third or fourth cousin at Beauxbatons," Remus agreed.

"I'm not sure," James said cautiously. "I'd have to ask mum, she's the one that keeps track of all of that."

"It's a good school, though, right?" Lily asked carefully. Remus sat up and looked carefully at his girlfriend.

"Lils, we graduate in a couple months, what are you on about?" Remus countered.

"I'm just expressing interest in other magical schools. That's acceptable, isn't it?" Lily said with a sniff. The Marauders watched her with narrowed eyes.

"I suppose," Remus said slowly.

"So this Beauxbatons, it provides an excellent education?" Lily pressed the question, refusing to let go.

"It does, although its structure is slightly different from ours," Hermione said calmly as she entered the common area with Marlene and Dorcas. "They do not have a house system since that is our own peculiar British school structure. They also take their NEWTs in their sixth year. I am a bit jealous as they use their seventh year for extremely advanced work and beginning apprenticeships. They also teach Enchantments as the upper level component to Charms, which is completely unfair."

"It is?" Lily said faintly, trying to take in all the information that Hermione had just given her. Marlene nodded

"Of course," the blonde agreed. "Since Hogwarts doesn't even offer Enchantments it means that anyone from Britain that wants a spot at an apprenticeship has to have private tutors for several years before applying. It also means that most Enchantresses or Enchanters are not British."

"The Guild of Enchanters has a long memory and there was some unpleasantness several centuries ago between them and the Ministry of Magic. They were trying to declare enchantments across the board as Dark. The Guild filed all sorts of motions with the IWC and has refused to set foot in Britain ever since," Peter offered quietly from the wingback he was sitting in. Hermione beamed at him and he smiled tentatively back at her. He cleared his throat and shrugged when his friends sent astounded looks his way. "My great-grandfather was an Enchanter and he was rather opinionated about the matter."

"Oh, my," Lily said quietly.

"Why are you interested in Beauxbatons, Lily?" Hermione asked curiously. Lily flushed and shrugged. Hermione's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.

"No reason," she said airily.

"Lils has taken a sudden interest in other magical schools," James offered.

"There's always Durmstrang, but it has a nasty reputation," Dorcas suggested. Sirius and James glowered.

"Perhaps not," Marlene said diplomatically after a look at their faces.

"It's not what everyone assumes," Hermione said with quiet confidence. "They, the students of Durmstrang and their families, they had more direct contact with Grindelwald so they tend to take a rather dim view of the Dark Arts. It has been recent enough in wizarding memory to leave a rather strong impact."

"Really?" Dorcas said in surprise. Hermione gave her a sharp look, and moved closer to Lily.

"Either would be an excellent choice, when the time comes," Hermione said softly. Lily glanced at her, startled, and then gave a small nod of agreement.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Don't you think this has gone on long enough?" Hermione demanded, poking Sirius in the chest. He glared at her.

"She hurt you," he growled. "The stupid cow could've _killed_ you."

"Not likely, Sirius. It was meant to be a Boils Hex. The worst it could've done would have been permanent deep tissue damage, scarring and a painful limp," Hermione replied coolly. His grey eyes widened and he looked completely enraged.

"That's all?! That's all?!" He bellowed and began pacing.

Hermione turned slightly so that he would not see her roll her eyes. Sirius Black was possibly the Most Stubborn Bastard on the planet. Her gaze shifted and fell on James who was nodding in agreement and looking mutinous. Oh, right, James Potter—the Other Most Stubborn Bastard on the planet. How on earth could she have forgotten about him? To their credit, none of what they'd done to the Hufflepuff girl could be considered cruel, vicious or mean-spirited. Most of it was mild pranking, but it was steady. The girl still hadn't apologized, and James and Sirius had steadfastly refused to stop until the girl was sorry for what she had nearly done. Hermione's friends were not best pleased with her, either. Of course, the loyal 'Puffs weren't about to sit still and allow one of their own to be targeted without retaliation. And that was how, in the Marauder's seventh year, there had somehow managed to be undeclared open warfare between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor House. The Gryffindors were ignoring Slytherin in favor of baiting Hufflepuff, and Slytherin and Ravenclaw didn't know what to make of it. In fact, some members of Slytherin House were suffering an existential crisis. If the 'Puffs were so aggressive and determined, where did that leave Slytherin? Truth be told, no one had ever realized that 'Puffs could be so ruthless and vicious, but Hermione reminded her friends and the Marauders that badgers weren't exactly cuddly. Quidditch matches between the badgers and the lions brought out some of the worst aggression, and situations that previously had only taken place during Slytherin vs. Gryffindor matches became a common occurrence.

"Well I'm not kissing you whilst you look like that," Hermione said firmly, eyeing the weeping pustules that covered his skin.

"Aw, Hermione!" Sirius whinged and Hermione glared at him.

"You figure out how to fix it then," Hermione stated flatly. Her glare encompassed all of the Marauders, her gaze speculative when it fell on Peter. "Surely the four of you can come up with a solution. Perhaps Peter and Remus will figure something out. They're the only two still using their brains."

"I think that Essence of Betony might help," Peter said cautiously, eyeing Sirius doubtfully. Hermione smiled at him.

"Why don't you try it, Peter? It certainly can't hurt," Hermione said mildly. He smiled uncertainly at her and nodded nervously.

"Okay," he agreed.

Essence of Betony did, indeed, help and Peter soon became one of the most popular people in Gryffindor as the Pustulating Hex became the 'Puffs go to gross out hex of choice. He seemed to gain in confidence and ability and Hermione whispered a few choice words in Remus' ear so that he would reinforce the effects of positive attention on the fourth Marauder. Remus and Peter soon came out with the Marauder's Heal-All, which was basically a small tub of salve that had large quantities of betony mixed in. Sirius and James spent a great deal of time coated in the stuff. Gryffindors lined up to purchase their tubs of Heal-All and once word spread to the other Houses there were furtive transactions taking place in shadowy alcoves all over the school. A number of Ravenclaws and Slytherins had been accidentally caught in the cross-fire, so to speak, and it didn't hurt to have a tub on hand.

Really, the 'Puff-Gryff War served a useful purpose, James and Sirius had decided, which was why they were so unwilling to declare a ceasefire. Hermione had not been allowed anywhere inside Hogwarts or outside Hogwarts without a veritable crowd of fellow Gryffindors. Either Hermione's friends Marlene, Dorcas and Lily were about, or her brother and her boyfriends were nearby. As near as they could tell, Hermione had not yet caught on to their clever gambit which ensured her safety and protection. Sirius had even been approached by his younger brother about Hermione. Regulus was concerned about her, and had said in not so many words that he would keep an eye out for her. Dorcas had told James that Severus was watching out for Hermione as well. All in all, James and Sirius couldn't be more pleased. Their girl was safe for the moment, and (even better) she had no idea that they were doing the protecting bit and couldn't yell at them for it. They tried to keep the smug smirks to a minimum, but the 'Puff-Gryff War helped there, too. Any time that Hermione caught them grinning fatuously at one another, she assumed they'd pulled another prank, which was a given. Really, didn't that woman know them by now? She had had the temerity to ask them when they were going to grow up. James and Sirius looked at one another and started laughing. She had tossed her hands in the air and stomped off muttering about arrogant wankers. As soon as she was out of sight, they smirked at one another. Just a few more months, and then they'd be graduated, and then they would be able to keep Hermione safe.


	11. O What a Tangled Web

_A/N: To eat of lemon, or not to eat of lemon, that is the question. Whether tis nobler to censor—oh, hell, never mind. So, right, I hate censorship. Hate it with a fiery passion. Yet, I realized that I have been censoring myself because I've been worried about The Powers that Be. I have an LJ account under this same name and I think I might post Lost Lupin there, too. That way if I feel the need for sweat-slicked naked bodies writhing together, no one has to get shirty with me. If/When I do that; I'll post it in the Author's Note. Example: For the Unabridged Wild Monkey Sex, please see my LJ version. (Or something like that.)_

"I'm sorry."

It was whispered and sounded vaguely sullen and unwilling, but the sentiment was genuine. Hermione turned around and looked at the Hufflepuff who was sulking in the library's stacks behind her. Her gaze flicked to a small knot of the girls' friends who had come either to make sure the girl followed through, or to make sure that Hermione didn't hex her. Perhaps both, Hermione decided when she spotted the worried, tense looks on the Hufflepuff girls' faces. Hermione turned her attention back to the girl in front of her. Things had gone on for long enough, in her opinion, and she wanted everything to be done and over.

"Hermione?" James' voice sounded worried and when he poked his head around the corner and spotted the Hufflepuff contingent, he scowled. He moved quickly to her side and slid a possessive arm around her waist, pulling her to his side. "All right, love?"

"I'm fine, James. She's just apologizing," Hermione said quietly. He sent a dark glare toward the Hufflepuff girl.

"Apologizing?" He said a little too loudly because Hermione made a hissing noise at him.

"Yes, now shush or Madam Pince will have your bollocks," Hermione whispered furiously and elbowed him in the ribs. She turned back to the Hufflepuff girl. "Apology accepted."

"And hopefully you got the message," James growled at her. Hermione huffed at him.

"James!"

"I'm not interested," he said flatly. Hermione looked horrified and scandalized.

"James!"

"What?" He asked innocently. Hermione rolled her eyes and dragged him out of the library, muttering under her breath the entire time. "Look, love, I just wanted to make sure she understood. I mean, I'd hate for some sort of unfortunate misunderstanding to occur."

"James Potter, don't you dare try to pull that with me," Hermione hissed furiously at him. "I know you're up to something! I'm not sure what, exactly, but I'll figure it out."

"Now, Hermione," James protested, but stopped when she fixed her glare on him. He spread his hands in a conciliatory gesture. "Okay, okay."

"I'm going to go find the girls and make sure they know, can you tell the other Marauders?" Hermione asked him with a small frown. He grinned at her.

"Your wish is my command, O fair flower of Gryffindor Tower," he said before giving her a sweeping bow and kissing her hand. She rolled her eyes at him. How had Lily put up with that for _years_ without killing him and hiding his body in the Forbidden Forest?

"Just shut up and kiss me," she snapped at him.

He moved quickly, pressing her up against the cold stone wall with his big body. His lips were on hers and she felt that fire rising within her again. She buried her fingers in his hair and kissed him back enthusiastically, reveling in the feel of his hard muscle against her softer curves. His lips started to migrate, nibbling briefly on her earlobe before making their way down the curve of her neck. She pulled back regretfully and he gave her a lopsided grin before kissing her on the nose. She straightened her clothes and marched off to find Marlene, Dorcas and Lily.

"I have bad news," James muttered as he flopped down on one of the couches in the common area. Sirius looked up from his book and quirked a brow at his boyfriend. "The 'Puff apologized to Hermione right in front of me and she accepted."

"But, what about our plan," Sirius protested. James snorted.

"Hermione didn't know about the plan, and I bet she wouldn't have cared about it," James pointed out. Sirius frowned.

"Oh. Right," he agreed. They both sat there for a moment and contemplated the horror of Hermione finding out about 'The Plan'. They both shuddered.

"So, we'll need to come up with a new plan," James decided thoughtfully.

"A way to distract her without her knowing that we've distracted her," Sirius murmured almost to himself, "and at the same time, protect her."

"Yes," James said simply and they sat side by side, their faces set in lines of intense concentration. Sirius made a small noise.

"And we should prank Slytherin, just so they know we still love them and all," Sirius added.

"Of course," James agreed. They really had been neglecting Slytherin House rather shockingly of late. The poor dears were probably devastated to be ignored—they were always so melodramatic about everything. It probably hurt their pride that Gryffindor had found something better to do than spar with Slytherin. He smirked to himself at that.

/\/\/\/\/\

That first prank on Slytherin was the equivalent of an official announcement of the ceasefire between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The eagles and the snakes did not like the normal structure—the hierarchy—of their lives completely overturned. It had bothered them far more than they wanted to admit. Now things were back to normal and they all relaxed just a bit. Well, as much as anyone is willing to relax when James Potter and Sirius Black are striding about with those maniacal smiles on their faces. Regulus watched his brother warily and turned to Severus Snape.

"You aren't one of them," Regulus said quietly, his gaze sweeping around him. Severus tilted his head in acknowledgment.

"No," he agreed quietly, "but I'm just a half-blood. To be interesting to _them_, I'd have to have something to offer."

"We both know that you have the makings of a Potions Master," Regulus protested. Severus snorted.

"Who is going to pay my apprentice fees?" Severus pointed out drily. His plan, before Hermione, had been to approach Voldemort and get him to sponsor his Potions Mastery, but that had been spectacularly shot to hell. Not that he was complaining. No, _they_ made Severus nervous and anxious. He felt like a damn dog on point every hour of the day around _them_.

"What if you received an endowment?" Regulus said speculatively. Severus frowned at him.

"What do you mean?" Severus asked cautiously. Regulus made an impatient noise in his throat and gestured helplessly.

"An endowment," he said crisply, "you know, to help pay for your apprentice fees. Several pureblood families usually sponsor apprentices. It depends on the family as to what the specialty is. For instance, the Longbottoms always sponsor a Transfiguration apprentice and the Scamander family always sponsors an apprenticeship that has to do with animals. Last year it was a 'Claw who wanted to be a dragon handler. They paid for his travel costs to the Romanian Dragon Reserve, all the fireproof gear and his apprentice program fees."

"How do you know all of this?" Severus demanded. Regulus shrugged.

"Adults never pay attention to the children at pureblood functions, especially those hosted by Dark families," Regulus informed him. "We're supposed to be seen and not heard, and that's all they care about. I'm quiet and I listen to everything. When we were little, Father would pay us to listen at functions and then report to him everything we heard. I always made more money than Sirius."

"Your dad paid you to listen…," Severus seemed stunned. Regulus just looked at him.

"Of course. We were just children, and it was an easy way to show us that information was valuable. When we were small, it was because he paid us. As we grew older, we started to realize that the information was valuable in itself. Father used to discuss the whole evening with us, he'd ask us questions—make us think about what we'd seen and heard, and what people didn't say," Regulus said with an easy shrug. Severus thought about that for a moment and realized that he was jealous. Mr. Black had obviously cared about his sons, and had begun teaching them the Slytherin way of doing things from the cradle. It was an acute advantage that he did not have.

"So, er, are there any families that sponsor Potions programs?" Severus asked hesitantly. Regulus pursed his lips in thought.

"Well, there were the Dagworth-Grangers, of course, but I think they've died out. The LeStranges do, but you'll have to pass on them for obvious reasons. Oh! Merlin, I'm an idiot!" Regulus smacked himself upside the head. He turned to Severus with a rueful expression. "My Uncle Alphard has been making noises about sponsoring an apprentice, but he wasn't sure what specialty yet. He's been thinking about it for a while. I'll ask him if he'd consider a Potions program."

"But Regulus, if he's your uncle…" Severus didn't want to insult Regulus, but the Blacks were not a Light family. Regulus smirked at him, and Severus was struck by his resemblance to his older brother.

"Uncle Alphard is a bit of a loose cannon. He has no patience for Voldemort, or anyone who talks him up. Grandfather has threatened to disown him more than once, but he never does," Regulus said confidently. "I think it's because deep down, all Blacks think they're too good to bow down to anyone. It's in our blood or something."

"If you think it's a good idea," Severus said cautiously. Regulus shrugged.

"It's an option, Severus. It's always good to have options," Regulus reminded him.

"True," Severus agreed thoughtfully.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Lily," Remus panted helplessly as she pressed against him, her bum wriggling against his lap making him harder than the stone of Hogwarts' walls.

"Remus," she gasped in his ear before her white, even teeth began to nibble on it. His eyes crossed with pleasure and he whimpered in his chest. He took a deep breath, gripped her firmly, but oh so carefully and pulled her away from the wonderful things her mouth was doing to his neck.

"Baby, it's too close, you—we—we can't, not right now."

His eyes begged her to understand and when she looked up at him and saw the dangerous flash of amber in his eyes, when she felt his fingers dig into her arms for just a moment, she knew what he meant. _Right now_ was the night before the full moon, and her Remus was not exactly himself. That other him, _Moony_, always rode close to the surface and influenced him, her Remus. She knew that someday, after they graduated maybe, Remus won't be able to hold him back any longer. Hermione warned her about that. Moony would claim her. Lily shivered in Remus' lap, but not with fear, and she watched her boyfriend's nostrils flare and then his eyes flashed amber again. Was it odd that she was turned on by the idea of Remus/Moony claiming her in such a primal way? Did it make her _wrong_, somehow? She bit her lip anxiously and moved off of Remus' lap.

"I'm sorry," he muttered quietly as he caught scent of her anxiety and she whirled to glare at him.

"Do not apologize to me," she snapped angrily. "There is nothing to apologize for, Remus."

"A normal boyfriend can kiss his girl anytime he wants to," Remus muttered petulantly. Lily glared at him so furiously he wondered if he should feel for singed hair and then she growled at him. She _growled_ at him. Moony didn't like that at all. Even if she was his mate, she couldn't go around growling at him. Moony growled right back, a low, threatening rumble that made Lily's eyes widen and then drop. Moony was smug about that, and Remus ignored him.

"Remus," she whispered in a small, hurt voice that ripped out his heart and stomped on it. Those huge emerald green eyes were watching him and they made something twist in his chest. "I don't want normal, I just want you."

"But, I-," he tried to protest, but she made a frustrated noise.

"I don't care," she screamed, secure in his silencing charms. "I don't _care_ that you're a werewolf. I understand it, I get that Moony is part of the package and I don't care. I love you and I want you both, if that's the only way I can have you."

"Lily," he breathed, staring at her in shock. Moony was shocked, too. "You don't understand what you're saying."

"I know exactly what I'm saying," Lily contradicted him firmly. "I know what I feel and I know what I want."

"After we graduate," Remus said uncertainly, looking at her through his lashes. Lily nodded firmly and there was a fierce look of determination in her eyes that warmed his belly and made him nervous at the same time.

"Then Moony had better claim me if he knows what's good for him," Lily said tightly. Remus started panting for air. The idea of claiming Lily as his and Moony's made his pupil's dilate with desire and his pants grow painfully tight. He wanted to pin her beneath him and bite her shoulder, mark her so that everyone would know that she belonged to him. He wanted to taste her tears and sweat and blood on his tongue, he wanted _everything_.

"Lily, you need to go…now," he managed to grit out hoarsely. She stared at him for a moment and he thought she might argue with him, but she turned and left just as he had told her to do. He stared at the door with a look of consternation. Just how, exactly, was he supposed to survive the next couple of months?

/\/\/\/\/\

"So, if I do this for you two…then you'd owe me, right?" Nathaniel Boot demanded, eyeing James and Sirius suspiciously. James and Sirius looked at one another and then they turned identical smiles on Boot who paled slightly and took a step back.

"Yes, Boot, we'd owe you one," James said cheerfully. Boot frowned at them.

"I don't understand, though. I thought you liked the Lupin girl," he said flatly. This was a puzzle, and it kept teasing the edges of his mind. James and Sirius gave him identical looks of disgust.

"Of course we like her, that's why we're doing this," Sirius said arrogantly, rolling his eyes at Boot for being so dense.

"But…if she finds out you did this, she'll have your bollocks. Any girl would," Boot protested.

"Which is why she can't find out, Boot," James said firmly.

"Which is why you are going to take a wizard's oath not to reveal any of this to anyone," Sirius added, a dark gleam shining in his eyes. Boot found himself nodding his reluctant agreement, felt himself lift his wand and heard himself recite the vow that James and Sirius made him read off a scrap of parchment. Sirius silently Incendio'd the scrap of parchment when they were done and James gave him an approving look. A sick, nauseated feeling overcame Nathaniel as he realized the enormity of what he'd done.

"But, if she finds out," Boot tried again, helplessly. James and Sirius both gave irritated sighs.

"And just how is that going to happen?" James demanded. "I'm not going to tell her."

"I certainly am not going to breathe a word of this. Ever. Maybe not even after I'm dead," Sirius said gravely.

"I hope you two know what you're doing," Boot said at last. James and Sirius snorted.

"My dear Ravenclaw, we always know what we're doing," Sirius said in a condescending tone that made Nathaniel's hackles rise. He glared at the both of them.

"Fine. I'm off then…to do…well, you know," Boot finished lamely, waving a hand vaguely. James and Sirius smirked at him.

"Toddle off then," James said, making shooing motions.

"Have fun!" Sirius said brightly. Boot gave him a disbelieving look before he turned and headed morosely down the hall, one foot plodding in front of the other.

"Does he have to look like he's off to the gallows?" James muttered at Sirius. Sirius watched Nathaniel Boot's pitiful-looking figure make its way down the hall and shrugged.

"I dunno, it gives the whole thing believability, don't it? I mean, if _it_ were to happen, I expect Ravenclaw'd be in a right tizzy, don't you think?" Sirius pointed out logically. James thought about it.

"You're right," he agreed after several minutes. Sirius slapped James cheerfully on the back.

"Course I am," he said confidently.

The wail of frustration, grief and panic brought the entire Gryffindor tower running to see what was happening. There was a tight huddle of the 'brainy' Gryffindors and they all looked like someone had just Avada'd their kneazles. The wailing was coming from Lily Evans, whose boyfriend was currently holding her and trying to soothe her without success. Dorcas Meadows was sitting in a chair staring at the wall muttering under her breath. When the other Gryffindors drew nearer out of concern they could hear her.

"All those hours in the library, all for nothing."

"Er, Remus, is Lily okay?" Peter asked hesitantly, concern for his friend and his friend's girlfriend obvious in the nervous wringing of his hands.

"They've completely revamped the structuring of the NEWTs," Remus said in a dull voice, his eyes glassy. "Everything we've been studying will be practically worthless, and we've got to cram like mad for the new stuff that we'll be tested on. The NEWTs are just two months away. It's not enough time."

"That doesn't sound right," Peter said with a frown.

"I heard it from Rebecca Smith," Lily sniffled. "She's a friend of mine and a 'Claw and it's all over Ravenclaw."

"I heard it, too," Dorcas said quietly and Lily and Remus knew that she meant she'd heard it from Severus. That meant that Slytherin knew about it.

"Dorcas! Lily!" The portrait door to Gryffindor tower was thrown open so violently that it hit the wall. Hermione sprinted to Dorcas' side, a wild look in her eyes. "You heard? Come on, we've got to go to the library, NOW! Remus, grab Lily's stuff, let's GO!"

The small knot of Gryffindors hurried out of Gryffindor tower in a flurry of parchment, quills and ink leaving behind a confused group of lions. In the next few days, the seventh years of each house had carefully laid claim to their territory in the library. Every waking hour not spent in class was spent in the library as the houses struggled their way through the new NEWT requirements. A Slytherin and a Ravenclaw had already had complete emotional breakdowns in the middle of the library, and there were running odds on who it would be from Gryffindor: Hermione or Lily. The professors and even the Headmaster had spoken to the entire student body, assuring them that no, the NEWTs testing structure had NOT changed, but the seventh years were worried. Most of them had had experienced Ministry bureaucracy in one form or another and most of them didn't trust that the bureaucracy hadn't somehow 'forgotten' to let them know about a major change. If anyone from her previous life was watching, they would have recognized this Hermione instantly from their OWL year and warned everyone in Gryffindor tower to stay far, far away from NEWT-crazed Hermione. Lily wasn't any better, in fact, in some ways she was worse, which meant that the Marauders were spending quite a bit of time together because their respective girlfriends were studying like maniacs. Remus spent quite a few hours doing his own revising, but he picked a quiet classroom rather than face the wrath of Lily when someone moved her carefully organized, color-coded ink pots.

Needless to say, the last two months before NEWTs were nerve-wracking not just for the seventh years, but anyone who had any interaction with them as well. Several first years had been made to cry by frazzled seventh years that were frantic to get their revising done. The common area of each house was usually deserted by anyone under seventh year. The Heads of the four Houses were frustrated since the majority of seventh years were convinced that somehow the Ministry was trying to put one over on them, and refused to listen to reason. When the day of NEWT testing finally dawned, the seventh years blearily made their way to the classrooms set aside for testing. Hermione was striving for calmness. She had never actually taken her NEWTs, but she'd studied for them and taken loads of practice tests before. Andromeda had even pretended to administer some of the practicals for her, and she had done really well. So there was nothing to be worried about. Even if they did change everything, she'd be okay. That's what she kept telling herself. James and Sirius looked relaxed, and that did nothing but irritate her. How dare they be so relaxed when she was a hair's breadth away from a full-on panic attack? Remus was a bit twitchy and so were Dorcas and Marlene. Lily, well, she was in her own class of terrified. She took a deep breath and clutched her quill tightly in her fingers. An elderly witch hobbled to the front of the room, leaning heavily on her cane.

"Good morning, students. This is the NEWT for Transfiguration. The practicum will be this afternoon. You will have two hours to complete the test. Does everyone understand? Excellent." She waved her wand in her gnarled hand and a neat stack of tests began to disburse itself to all of the seated students. Hermione swallowed painfully and stared at the thick parchment in front of her. "Everyone has their test? Everyone has a quill? You may begin."

The Silence was thick in the air and the only sound that could be heard was the scratching of a number of quills on parchment. Hermione bent her head and focused on the task in front of her.

/\/\/\/\/\

"It wasn't changed at all," Hermione said with a frown several days later. Marlene and Dorcas both nodded.

"No, you're right," Dorcas said thoughtfully. "How do you think you did?"

"Bugger that," Marlene said with a frown, "why wasn't it changed?"

"Well, the professors did keep saying that it wasn't going to change," Dorcas said slowly, focused in thought.

"True, but the bloody Ministry is always willing to bugger everything up somehow," Hermione said darkly. Lily sat quietly with a slightly stunned look on her face.

"Hermione," she said stiffly.

"I know, I know, watch my bloody language," Hermione snapped, still frowning.

"Slytherin was panicking," Dorcas said carefully, rubbing her temples. "I mean, they refused to actually panic, but for them, they were panicking."

"We know what you meant, love," Marlene said with a small smile for her friend.

"Ravenclaw really was worried, or at least my friend was," Lily said quietly. "Some of them weren't, but you know how arrogant some of them can get."

"Ravenclaws _can_ get arrogant," Hermione agreed cautiously. She couldn't count the number of times some Ravenclaw had gotten huffy because Hermione Granger wasn't in their House. She also hadn't forgotten her OWL year and the outrageous one-upmanship of some of the 'Claws to prove who studied the hardest. She frowned to herself. _No_. "You don't think that this was a Ravenclaw plot…do you?"

"They can be rather ruthless when it comes to testing and grades," Marlene said slowly, thinking it over.

"They're almost rather Slytherin at times," Dorcas ventured and then was silent. Lily sat quietly for a while.

"It's possible," she said at last, "but I don't think it was the whole House, just a faction."

"It's over and done with now," Marlene said with a heavy sigh. Then she tilted her head thoughtfully. "I suppose we could prank Ravenclaw if we really wanted to show our displeasure. What do you think?"

"No, the school year's almost over," Dorcas said with a tired wave of her hand. "I'm exhausted, I don't want to have to research pranks on top of it. Hermione, how do you think you did?"

"I think I did well," Hermione said cautiously, a corner of her mind still focused on Ravenclaw's perfidy.

"Do you know what you want to do?" Lily asked curiously. Hermione shrugged.

"It all depends on our NEWTs scores, Lily," Hermione said glumly. "If we don't score well enough, we might not be accepted into a master's program."

"I'm hoping for Charms," Lily said confidently. Then she paused. "Or Potions. Either one, really."

"I'm hoping to score across the board in Arithmancy, Ancient Runes and Charms," Marlene said with a little smirk. Hermione quirked a brow.

"Marlene, are you thinking of going for Curse Breaker?" Hermione asked curiously. Marlene grinned at her.

"Wanna join me?" Marlene countered. Hermione frowned.

"It can send you all over the world, you know that, right?" Hermione asked finally. Marlene nodded.

"That's part of the allure," Marlene said calmly. Hermione bit her lip.

"I don't know," she said finally. "I'm not sure that I can do that. I was thinking…maybe Enchantress. I'd have to move to the continent, but I'd get to stay in one spot."

"Oh, Hermione, that's what portkeys are for!" Marlene protested. Hermione bit her lip and glanced at Lily who blushed.

"I need to stay close to my family," Hermione said at last, and Lily's blush became darker.

"You could always work as a Curse Breaker out of the Paris Gringott's," Dorcas said with a smirk. "Although the trouble that you and Hermione could get up to in Paris is mind-boggling."

"That might work," Hermione said speculatively. "Lily and Remus should be able to apply for master's programs in France easily."

"Is there a reason we're all moving en masse to France?" Dorcas asked curiously.

"Yes," Hermione said calmly. Marlene and Dorcas just looked at her.

"Werewolf regulations," Lily whispered.

"Oh," both girls said together, complete understanding on their faces.

"Once Remus is a Master at whatever, he'll be able to get jobs on the continent. He'll have a lot more opportunities in France," Hermione said mildly.

"That makes sense," Dorcas said slowly.

"Does Remus know that he's going to France?" Marlene asked curiously. Hermione and Lily both looked at her as though she were daft. Marlene chuckled. "Right. Silly me."

"Too right," Hermione said firmly.

"I wonder if Severus would be willing to go to France," Dorcas mused thoughtfully.

"Oh, Dorcas, please tell me you aren't going to ask him," Hermione asked, horrified.

"I—well, no?" Dorcas said.

"We're going and if they follow, they follow," Hermione said firmly, fixing a stern gaze on Dorcas. Marlene whistled long and slow.

"You're playing hardball; you do know that, right?" Marlene commented. "I would imagine that James and Sirius think they're going to bundle you off to Potter Manor to meet James' mum and dad. I'm not sure if Sirius is going to introduce you to his family, but that would mostly be because he'd be worried about how they would treat you."

"I have no idea what they're planning," Hermione said flatly, "but they certainly haven't discussed any of this with me."

"They are pureblood boys," Dorcas said with a snort, "I don't think they've considered anything other than marriage. It's in their blood."

"That may well be, I'm sure Remus is assuming that they're marrying me, or he'd have gutted them by now," Hermione agreed.

"So your solution is to sneak off by yourself to France?" Marlene asked incredulously.

"No, my solution is for all four of us to sneak off to France, find an apartment that won't bury us under the rent and get started with an Enchantments tutor," Hermione said firmly. "I've asked Professor Flitwick to write a recommendation for me."

"You should get one from your Ancient Runes professor, too," Marlene said thoughtfully. "Enchantments build on both. Arithmancy would probably help, too."

"I have already applied for French Mastery programs for Potions and Charms," Lily said excitedly. "I haven't heard back yet, but Professor Slughorn wrote me a glowing recommendation."

"I almost feel sorry for the Marauders," Marlene giggled, a wicked smile curving her lips.

"Why? We found Peter an exemplary French Mastery program in Herbology and his family has a small villa in Paris. He's asking his mum if we could rent part of it, but he hasn't heard back yet," Hermione said calmly, but there was a wicked glint in her cinnamon eyes.

"Hermione!" All three girls shrieked at that and Hermione winced.

"What?"

"The apartment was the one thing I was worried about," Lily said fiercely and hit Hermione with her pillow. "You prat!"

"Well, it's not a done deal, Lils, we may still need to find somewhere in Paris," pointed out logically.

"But still, a cunning little villa in Paris," Lily said dreamily, hugging her pillow.

"Charming cafés and cheap bottles of red wine," Dorcas added happily.

"The Louvre," Hermione said with a happy smile. "Oh, and Ys, and La Rue de Magique."

"La Rue de what?" Lily asked.

"The Street of Magic, it's Paris' Diagon Alley," Marlene explained matter-of-factly.

"Ooh, do they have a Flourish & Blott's?" Lily asked excitedly.

"They have several different bookstores," Dorcas reassured her. The girls happily chattered about possible plans for Paris, and Marlene agreed to consider the Paris branch of Gringott's for Curse Breaking.

/\/\/\/\/\

"Paris?" Severus said carefully, his body held perfectly still, his face a mask. Dorcas' beautiful face was glowing with happiness. She nodded eagerly and leaned toward him and put her hand on his arm.

"I've applied for Mastery programs for Spellcrafting, but my acceptance is contingent on my NEWTs scores," Dorcas explained.

"I see," Severus said stiffly. Dorcas frowned at him.

"Are you—did I do something to upset you, Severus?" Dorcas asked hesitantly.

"Paris," he repeated slowly. Dorcas' face fell slightly, and he felt like the veriest heel. Still, she was leaving him. She was leaving him and moving out of the country, for Merlin's sake. His heart squeezed painfully in his chest. Her hand tightened on his arm.

"Severus, couldn't you apply for a Potions Mastery Program in France?" She asked softly. He blinked, staring at her.

"You want me to come with you?" He asked quietly. She bit her lip anxiously.

"I—we, the girls and I, are going to rent an apartment together," she said softly.

"But you want me to be in France with you," Severus guessed and her cheeks flushed. The iron bands around his heart relaxed slightly. She did want him. She wasn't leaving him.

"Yes," she said softly.

"I need to find an endowment to pay for my Mastery," he said stiffly, avoiding her eye. Dorcas felt a spread of warmth in her chest. She knew how private Severus was, how close to the chest he kept any personal information. For him to open up, to share something like this—something potentially embarrassing—told her a lot about how he felt about her.

"I just happen to have some applications for Potion Masteries in Paris, and several of them automatically included French endowment brochures with their paperwork. I noticed that a couple of them are reserved for Hogwarts alumni," Dorcas said mildly as though she were discussing the weather. Severus took the paperwork in nerveless fingers and looked through it. Everything was neatly organized and marked. She was right, there were two Mastery Programs that included glossy brochures for endowments for Hogwarts Alumni. A strange feeling started to spread through him, and he absently noted that it was hope.

"The deadlines for these are in two weeks," Severus said with a small frown. Dorcas smiled up at him.

"You already have letters of recommendation, Severus," Dorcas said smugly, "I know you, and you would never leave something like that to the last minute."

"I do," he admitted.

"Well, then, you should be able to get these in on time," Dorcas stated. He nodded slowly.

"I think so," he agreed. Her answering smile was blinding, but he saw it only a moment before she flung herself on him and kissed him senseless.


	12. Coming Clean

_A/N: Right, so I suffer from terminal stupidity, or livejournal hates me. Take your pick. I have issues whenever I try to post large amounts of text. So maybe no for posting all of Lost Lupin there, but we're still go for smut. Not smut here. Smut there. Smut likes it there. Shutting up now. _

"Paris?" Andromeda's eyebrows rose in surprise.

Hermione bit her lip and then nodded.

"But…why?" Andromeda asked curiously.

"Well, you know the letter that you wrote to yourself?" Hermione reminded her gently.

Andromeda's brow wrinkled thoughtfully and then her eyes widened. The letter had detailed important things that the Other Andromeda had felt it crucial for this Andromeda to know — Remus' status had been one of those things.

"Oh." Andromeda breathed softly, understanding filling her dark eyes.

"France is more, um, accommodating," Hermione explained.

Andromeda nodded thoughtfully. In France it _would_ be a lot easier for a werewolf to find gainful employment.

"Do you have a place to stay?" Andromeda asked.

Hermione bit her lip again. "We're working on it," she said hesitantly.

Andromeda looked pensive.

"I could call my great-uncle Marius," Andromeda said carefully, watching Hermione's face for her reaction.

Hermione frowned.

"Who?" Hermione asked slowly.

"My great-uncle Marius Black, he's my grandfather's brother. He was disowned for being a squib, but he's done quite well for himself in the muggle world and he has a Parisian town house that he has allowed us to use when we've gone to the continent. He doesn't use it all that much, and I think he'd like knowing that Sirius' girlfriend had somewhere safe to live," Andromeda said this last bit pointedly, watching Hermione's face carefully.

"That would be wonderful, if he'd agree," Hermione said gratefully.

Andromeda smirked at her.

"He already has agreed. I asked him last week," Andromeda said smugly.

"But, I never said anything!" Hermione protested.

Andromeda's smirk grew.

"Darling, you accidentally left your acceptance letters out," Andromeda informed her. Hermione blushed furiously.

"I'm sorry," she said contritely. "I don't want you to think that I don't appreciate you because I do. You have been wonderful and I'm grateful for everything, but you have your own life with a husband and a child."

"I know that, Hermione," Andromeda said calmly. "I happen to agree with you—I think perhaps that France might be the best choice for you and Remus right now. Have you talked to Sirius and James?"

"Is there anything you don't know?" Hermione grumbled.

Andromeda laughed. "No," she said simply. "Sirius and James?"

"Er, well, I haven't actually spoken to them yet," Hermione admitted.

Andromeda gave her a look that made her feel about three inches tall.

"Don't you think that they'll want to know where you'll be?" Andromeda asked coolly.

Hermione flushed in embarrassment. "Probably," she said in a small voice.

"And when, exactly, were you thinking about telling them?" Andromeda continued in an icy voice.

Hermione toed the carpet bashfully. "Erm, at Potter Manor?" She suggested.

Andromeda snorted. Little Tonks ran through the living room covered in jam and Andromeda put out one hand to stop her. A quick flick of her wrist and Tonks' cheeks were scrubbed clean and slightly pink.

"Hi Hermione!" Tonks said cheerfully.

Hermione grinned and tousled her ex-future-sister-in-law's bright pink hair.

"Hey, sproglet!"

"Want to see my new broom? It's ever so keen, an' it goes really fast, an' mum says that I'm going to be the death of her!" Tonks said quickly.

Little Tonks looked so proud of herself that Hermione had to actively bite back the laughter that wanted to bubble up out of her.

"Nymphadora," Andromeda began with a heavy sigh, but Tonks scowled at her.

"Dora," the six year-old said flatly.

Andromeda's lips tightened but she gave a small nod.

"Fine, Dora then," her mother replied. "We have discussed this, multiple times, a lady does not interrupt."

"But you said I was no lady!" Dora argued.

Andromeda's eyes narrowed on her daughter.

"Dora," Andromeda ground out tightly and her daughter's eyes widened.

"Sorry, mum, I'll just go play outside, yeah?" Dora knew that she'd pushed her mum too far and scurried out the back door, grabbing her broom on her way.

"Now, don't think that I've forgotten you, missy," Andromeda said in that tight, cold voice that the Other Andromeda had only used when she was seriously angry. "Are you playing my cousin false?"

"What? No! I just, I-," Hermione spluttered for several minutes and then turned a brilliant red. She asked in a small voice: "Is that what he would think?"

"Hermione, I can tell you that Sirius is quite determined to pursue marriage with you. I had thought that you returned his affections," Andromeda's voice was icy in its politeness.

Hermione squirmed helplessly. "I do," she protested.

Andromeda eyed her coldly and Hermione shivered. She looked rather a lot like her sister at the moment.

"It's just very important to me that Remus is settled and that he will have a steady source of income for the future." Hermione explained.

"You will speak to Sirius about your plans."

It was not a question. Hermione nodded.

"Yes, I will," she promised in a small voice.

"Excellent, now let us discuss Uncle Marius' house," Andromeda said calmly.

/\/\/\/\/\

Potter Manor was impressive, awe-inspiring in the true sense of the word. Hermione felt fear mixed with trepidation as she approached the gate. Through the wrought-iron she could see the vast expanse that James Potter called home. _No wonder he's a bit arrogant_. It would be rather difficult to escape a little healthy arrogance if one grew up in a house like _that_. The grounds held a quiet peacefulness that seemed to permeate her very being. She felt calmer than she had, although that wouldn't have taken much. Hermione had been on tenterhooks anticipating this meeting between herself and James and Sirius. Perhaps that was part of the problem—she often perceived their relationship dynamic as her and them. She just _knew_ in the secret core of her soul that James and Sirius were just that, and she wasn't so sure that there was really room for James and Sirius and Hermione. Harry and Draco had both hinted that this…whatever it was…might be a triad. The spell that Marlene had done seemed to say that it was certain. She was fairly sure that Draco was positive that it was. Despite being the unofficial Prince of Slytherin, he had never been subtle. This couldn't just be a fling for her. If this were going to work—it needed to be a long-term thing. Andromeda had said that Sirius wanted to marry her, but what about James? She did not want what had happened before to happen again. She refused to become another Lily Potter.

"Would you like a tour?" The voice was a deep, rich baritone and the tone was politely curious.

Hermione screamed and jumped three feet in the air. She whirled quickly, her wand in her hand and found it pressed firmly to a broad chest. She looked up in surprise to see an older version of James. With a sigh of disgust, she tucked her wand away. One sable brow rose and he pinned her in place with hazel eyes that were a cross between amused and wary.

"Can I assist you madam?" He asked politely.

"I'm Hermione," she said simply.

"Ah," he murmured quietly. His eyes had widened and now he seemed to be assessing her. He wasn't leering at her figure, or anything so crass. Rather, he seemed to be deciding something about her. He gestured elegantly toward the gate and it unlocked and swung open. "Shall we?"

"Thank you," she muttered and edged carefully passed the gate, shooting anxious glances around her as she did so.

The last wizarding estate she had visited had not been under the best circumstances and had not been voluntary. Thankfully, the Potter estate seemed to look nothing like Malfoy Manor and she relaxed incrementally the closer they came to the estate. There was some loud cheering and whooping and her head swung automatically toward the noise, her body tensing. It was just the Marauders, playing a pick-up game of Quidditch on the side lawn. She glanced up at Mr. Potter and saw him looking toward the young wizards, a fond smile on his lips.

"They remind me of young knights, eager for their first quest," he murmured, almost to himself.

"Arthur and his Lancelot," Hermione muttered darkly, her heart squeezing painfully.

"Not exactly," Mr. Potter said with a laugh. "I don't have enough hubris to declare myself Uther Pendragon nor my son to be the Once and Future King."

There wasn't much that Hermione could really contribute to that, so she remained silent. She could feel Mr. Potter's eyes on her and she turned her face away from the Quidditch players resolutely. She thought she heard him heave a small sigh and then he was moving toward the house again. She followed him silently, and found herself scanning her surroundings as she moved closer and closer to the main building. The door opened automatically, and Hermione wondered idly if it were house elves or some sort of house magic that was keyed to Mr. Potter.

"Charlus?"

Hermione turned toward the speaker and sucked half of the room's oxygen supply into her lungs. The woman standing by the grand staircase, one graceful hand on the balustrade, looked extremely familiar. There was a portrait in the hallways of the upper floors of Grimmauld Place that had enjoyed speaking with Hermione. From the thick black hair pulled back into an elegant French twist to the cool, grey eyes watching her to the impatiently tapping fingertips on the gleaming balustrade, this woman was almost the twin of Elladora Black, sister of the first Sirius Black. _James' mother was a Black_. That explained quite a few things about Harry.

"Elladora," Hermione whispered without thinking.

James' mother's eyes widened in surprise and then narrowed dangerously.

"Who are you?" She snapped coldly.

"This is Hermione," Mr. Potter said calmly.

The woman's eyebrows rose in surprise and then her eyes narrowed speculatively.

"How are you acquainted with my aunt?" Mrs. Potter asked icily. Hermione floundered helplessly for a moment and then decided that the truth was the only option.

"I've spoken with her portrait," Hermione said with seeming calmness.

"I was not aware that Andromeda had a portrait of Aunt Elladora," Mrs. Potter said thoughtfully. Hermione shrugged helplessly.

"I cannot say how Andromeda would acquire any Black family mementos," Hermione said carefully. The woman's lips twitched.

"Miss Lupin, may I introduce my wife, Dorea Potter," Mr. Potter murmured at her side. Hermione automatically swept into a low curtsey and rose gracefully. Mrs. Potter's eyes narrowed speculatively again.

"I've put you in the ivory room, next to Remus," Dorea said thoughtfully. "Why don't I show you to your room? You can freshen up before dinner. Normally, I ask the boys to dress for dinner and they ignore me completely. You are free to follow their example if you wish."

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione murmured quietly as she followed Dorea up the impressive staircase. She thought she heard Mrs. Potter snort, but that couldn't be right.

The ivory room referred to the color of the furniture and the silk wall covering, as far as Hermione could determine. She couldn't see any carvings made out of actual ivory, and she breathed a silent sigh of relief. The room itself was impressive, the sort of thing she'd seen on the telly, but never in real life. She supposed that Malfoy Manor most likely had room similar, but she hadn't exactly been in a position to explore them.

"Is it to your liking?" Mrs. Potter asked quietly.

"Yes, thank you," Hermione murmured quietly.

"My boys are quite taken with you," Mrs. Potter said after a moment, moving to perch on one of the ivory damask wingbacks.

"They appear to be, ma'am," Hermione agreed and sat down gingerly.

"James says that it's a triad," Mrs. Potter said thoughtfully, her dark grey eyes watching Hermione's face.

"Ah," Hermione said nervously.

"Is it?"

"Yes, ma'am," Hermione admitted reluctantly.

"You're not pleased," Mrs. Potter said in surprise.

"Pleased, ma'am?" Hermione was slightly confused.

Surely Mrs. Potter wasn't suggesting what it sounded as though she were suggesting. No mother was going to sit there and rhapsodize about the benefits of having two men at the same time when one of them was her own son and the other was as near as.

"Yes, you do realize that by marrying both James and Sirius your status is assured," Mrs. Potter explained impatiently.

"M-marrying? My status?" Hermione was even more confused. It was just as Andromeda had guessed. They _did_ plan on marrying her after all.

"Of course. With the protection of House Potter and House Black you will have carte blanche among the pure-bloods. It would be a great coup for your House." Mrs. Potter pointed out drily.

"I don't think I understand," Hermione said slowly.

"I'm quite sure that you do, my girl," Mrs. Potter's voice had become glacially cold. "James told me about that little stunt that Marlene pulled and frankly I'm shocked at her. The McKinnons have always been a decent family. However, I am not just any old mother, I was born a Black. I know all about the triad spell, and I know that gold isn't one of the possible colours. I don't know what you were thinking to gain, but it won't be from my son."

"Excuse me?" Hermione stared at the woman across from her.

"I don't think I shall," Mrs. Potter snapped coldly.

"Are you saying that I…that I _fooled _James and Sirius into thinking that we were a triad for…for _nefarious purposes_?" Hermione was stunned. She honestly couldn't comprehend what Mrs. Potter was saying. She jumped to her feet.

"What else am I to think?" Mrs. Potter demanded angrily. "I don't know how you altered the spell, and I don't really care. What I do care about are my boys. I won't let you hurt them."

"I need to leave," Hermione said anxiously as she wrung her hands together.

"There's no need to do that," Mrs. Potter said primly. "I extended an invitation to both you and your brother. It stands. I just could not allow you to stay under my roof under false pretenses."

"I understand," Hermione said distantly. Inside, her heart was racing and she was finding it difficult to breathe.

"I'll just leave you to get settled in," Mrs. Potter said with cool politeness.

When the boys came in, Remus followed his nose directly to his sister. He found her staring out the window at the grounds, her fingers wound into the curtain clutching it tightly. He paused in the doorway and watched her for several moments.

"What's wrong?" He asked quietly.

"Mrs. Potter feels that I am attempting to manipulate James and Sirius into a relationship with me," Hermione said quietly, still staring out the window.

"She _what_?" Remus was insulted on his sister's behalf. "You have fought them both about that on more than one occasion. It's taken them a _year_ to get you to go out with them!"

"I know," she agreed quietly.

"We can leave," Remus said flatly, his protective nature coming to the fore.

"We could," agreed Hermione.

"But we're not going to?" He guessed. Pride for his sister flared within him; Hermione was an amazing witch.

"No, we aren't," Hermione agreed. She shifted slightly and turned to glance at him over her shoulder. "I believe they dress for dinner here. I've laid out dress robes on your bed."

"James and Sirius never dress for dinner," Remus protested.

"That is fine for them," Hermione said calmly. "_You_ are my brother, not James or Sirius. Go get changed. I would like you to escort me to dinner."

Remus huffed slightly, but he did as she asked. He knew what she was doing, and he supposed he could see her point. The Lupin family had been insulted, and when pure-bloods were insulted they retreated into very stiff formality. Hermione was going to play her part to the hilt and he did not blame her. Unfortunately, that meant that he needed to hurry to his rooms to change into the formal dress robes that his sister had laid out for him.

Dinner was possibly the most painful meal that Remus had ever experienced in his entire life. He hoped that he never had to endure anything like that ever again. Hermione had swept into the formal dining room on her brother's arm. He seated her and sat next to her. She spoke only when directly spoken to, and when she did respond it was in the chillingly correct form of formal speech. Lily seemed utterly confused by Hermione's behavior, but Marlene and Dorcas kept sending comforting glances in Hermione's direction. Sirius and James appeared hurt by her behavior, and Remus understood that as well. As soon as the meal ended, Hermione pled illness and retired to her rooms. Remus escorted her to her rooms as custom dictated.

"They are both going to ask me what the hell is going on—you do realize that, don't you?" Remus inquired politely.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Remus don't be so overdramatic."

"Actually, I don't think Remus is being dramatic enough," James said tightly from behind them.

Surprise made Hermione whirl around to face them, which unbalanced her slightly and made her fall against her brother who wrapped one solid arm around her and hoisted her back to her feet. She noticed that he kept her next to his side in a protective stance that Harry had adopted far too many times in her past. She narrowed her eyes at Remus to let him know that she was aware of what he was doing. The wanker just grinned at her and patted her absently. She turned her attention back to James and Sirius who both looked angry and upset.

"What's going on Hermione?" Sirius demanded.

"James' mum thinks that the Lupins are moneygrubbing liars who are out to entrap the Black heir and the Potter heir," Remus said coldly, his eyes flashing amber.

"She… I'm sorry, what?" James asked with a weak laugh. His gaze flicked back and forth between Remus and Hermione. He paused and appeared hesitant and uncertain. "You aren't joking?"

"No, James, he's not joking," Hermione said quietly.

"But we're a triad!" Sirius protested.

"Mrs. Potter has doubts about the color gold. She is correct… it is an unusual color for a triad and I'm not sure what that means," Hermione murmured this last bit absently to Remus.

"Hermione!" James and Sirius protested.

"You can't shut us out over this," Sirius said flatly.

"I'm not trying to shut you out," Hermione argued weakly.

James just looked at her. "Funny, it feels like you shutting us out."

"I'm struggling to deal with this to the best of my ability," Hermione said with chilly dignity. "It took all of my self-control not to run away. I wanted to quite badly, but I decided it would be unfair for me to vanish without a trace."

"Unfair? Try bloody cruel," Sirius said flatly, glaring at her.

"It's completely ridiculous because the reason that I agreed to come to Potter Manor was to talk to you two about my plans," Hermione stated flatly.

"What plans?" James asked.

"Why is it ridiculous?" Sirius demanded.

"Right," Hermione muttered under breath before she squared her shoulders. "I had planned on approaching this from a completely different angle, but here goes: I'm going to France. I've been accepted into an Enchanter's apprentice program."

"FRANCE!"

James and Sirius bellowing at the same time made Hermione's ears ring and she blinked. Remus winced and covered his ears. Both men appeared furious and were breathing harshly. James visibly took several deep breaths in an obvious effort to calm himself down. Sirius' fists were clenching and unclenching and a muscle was jumping in his jaw. The tendons of his neck stood out in stark relief as he struggle to control himself.

"What do you mean when you say that you are going to France?" James asked in a strained voice.

"The anti-werewolf regulations are becoming stricter and stricter. Remus needs to be able to find steady employment. He wants to marry Lily and he wants to be able to provide for her. I need to be close to my brother. In addition to that, I want to become an Enchantress and the only place that I can do that is on the continent," Hermione explained calmly.

James and Sirius stared at her, shock visible in their expressions.

"So…you're leaving us?" Sirius muttered, his grey eyes dark with emotion.

"No," Hermione corrected gently. "I'm going to do an apprentice program at the same time that you two are doing your Auror training."

"You knew about the Auror training?" James said in surprise. He exchanged a glance with Sirius.

"Of course I did," Hermione said drily.

"But we'll never see you!" Sirius complained.

"Sirius, you two will be in Auror training. You'll never see anyone—except Auror Moody," Hermione pointed out. "However, you are more than welcome to come and visit me on your days off."

"But—but—"

"Sirius," Hermione said gently and moved forward to touch his cheek. "I'm not leaving _you_; I'm just leaving this narrow-minded, bigoted country we happen to live in."

"You can't go to France, Moony," James informed his friend. "You don't want your kids going to Beauxbatons, do you?"

"Then you'd best convince your Dad to support the right sort of legislature in the Wizengamot," Hermione said tartly. "Help make it possible for your best friend and his family to live fulfilling lives right here in Great Britain."

"Remus?" Sirius' voice was sad and uncertain.

"You guys… Hermione's right. Things aren't getting any better here for me. I actually agree with her—if I want a life and a family with Lily I'm going to have to go where I can get a decent job and I won't be discriminated against," Remus said slowly, hating himself for hurting James and Sirius.

"I get that," James said unhappily—his expression clearly saying that he wished he didn't get it. "I still don't like the idea of you going so far away."

"Unless your Floo becomes broken somehow, we aren't going to be all that far away," Hermione said drily.

"I suppose not," James muttered unhappily.

"This feels wrong," Sirius groused, scowling deeply at the wall.

"I'm sorry that you're unhappy, but this is something that Remus and I must do," Hermione explained calmly.

"And we can visit you on our days off?" Sirius demanded suspicion gleaming in his dark grey eyes.

"Of course," Hermione replied mildly.

"Fine," Sirius muttered sourly. "Run off to France then. Become an Enchantress."

"Sirius," Hermione sighed. She turned to her brother. "Can you give us some time?"

"Yeah," Remus said with a sigh and scrubbed at his face with one hand. "Lily's probably on her way to yell at me. I'm sure Marlene and Dorcas are busy explaining, but she's still going to want to know what the hell is going on."

"I can imagine," Hermione said drily.

Without a backward glance Remus left Sirius and James alone with his sister. She looked at both of them and then turned and walked into her room. Sirius and James exchanged a glance and then filed in after her. Hermione sat down at the vanity and began pulling out hair combs one at a time. She watched them in the vanities mirror.

"I'm not doing this to hurt you," she said after several moments of heavy silence.

"Could have fooled me," Sirius grumbled.

"Sirius… that's not fair," Hermione whispered finally. She looked to James and saw the tight line of his jaw. "You're angry with me as well then?"

"No," James muttered. "I wish I could be angry with you. I wish I could blame you for everything, but I can't."

"James," Hermione whispered softly.

He looked up at her and the sad, lost look in those hazel eyes pierced her heart. She held out her hair brush mutely and he took it from her and began to brush her hair. He watched her eyes close and her face relax as he stroked the brush carefully through her hair. This was all she needed or wanted—to be close to Sirius and James. She could feel Sirius' presence nearby and she reveled in the feel of the both of them so close to her. When James was done brushing out her hair she stood back up and looked toward Sirius. He moved forward silently and unbuttoned her gown, helping her out of it. She took the gown from him and hung it carefully so that the house elves would take it to be cleaned. She turned back to James and Sirius who were both watching her warily.

It had taken a lot of time for Hermione to become comfortable with it being all right for her to have lascivious thoughts about James and Sirius. She knew that they were a triad and she knew that in the minds of James and Sirius that made everything okay. They encouraged her to take advantage of their poor, delicate male bodies whenever she felt a pressing need. She knew that they wanted her, and she knew that she was holding them back at arm's length because all of _this_ scared her. She didn't deserve to be happy. She certainly didn't deserve Sirius or James… let alone both of them. It was dangerous for her to want anything close to happiness because fate would step in and remove them both from her life.

That night she looked at the both of them for the space of a moment that stretched out to forever. She could see everything in that moment and she wanted it all so badly that her chest hurt. _What if they die? What if I'm left alone… again?_ Then she heard a snide, bitchy voice in her head that sounded so much like Malfoy that she almost turned her head in surprise. _Are you a Gryffindor or what?_ That voice goaded her just as Malfoy's real voice always did. She took a step forward and slid her fingers into the soft hair at the nape of Sirius' neck. His eyes widened and turned dark and stormy grey.

"Hermione," he whispered against her lips.

Hermione ignored him and bit his lower lip instead. Sirius decided to bow to her greater judgment and snaked his tongue between her lips to lick at her teeth and slide along her tongue. Fire slid along her senses in a slow burn that promised a long, steady flame. That was the way it always was with Sirius and James—at times she felt as though that fire would burn her sense of self away and leave a burned-out husk behind… at times she hoped that it would. The burn, the heat, the fire of the three of them together was like nothing else… ever.

Heat pressed against her back and she knew that James was there, his full lips nibbling along her shoulder. The rasp of his tongue flicking against her skin made her shiver with desire and want.

"Please," she mumbled against Sirius' lips.

He pulled back and looked at her carefully.

"Are you sure?" He asked quietly.

The complete stillness at her back meant that James was waiting for her answer as well. Both boys… no, both _men_ had been ridiculously respectful of her space. She took a deep breath and then looked over her shoulder at James before turning back to Sirius.

"Yes," she replied firmly.

**[Redacted]**

In the morning, Remus left with the girls leaving James and Sirius behind. Hermione ignored the dull ache in her chest and focused instead on Paris and her upcoming training. It was going to be intense, but she knew that she could do this. In addition, she had every confidence that Remus and Lily could do this as well.

The townhouse was perfect—everything she'd been hoping to find. That evening she sat out on her balcony with a glass of wine and looked at the city. _Paris_. From here on out _everything _was going to be different.

**A/N: For the redacted sex scenes with copious amounts of smut you will need to go to my livejournal page. It's under MaryRoyale. **


	13. Devouring Time

_Paris, France (two years after graduation)_

One of the most annoying things about Hermione Lupin was that she was very often right. Perhaps Lily might not have considered it to be so annoying if it weren't for the fact that _she_ used to be the one who was always right. She huffed to herself irritably and rubbed the mating mark on her shoulder. Remus had claimed her right after graduation just as his sister had said he would. From that moment on, Sirius, James and Hermione had treated her as though she was Remus' wife, but she was still Muggle enough to want the wedding. Her mum had been thrilled to come over and help plan the wedding. Werewolves couldn't legally marry in wizarding Britain, but in France it was perfectly legal. Thankfully, the wedding had gone off without a hitch because mere weeks later Lily had gone into heat, just as Hermione had said she would. Lily had never looked back.

"Are you all right, love?" Remus asked worriedly. He touched her carefully and stroked her belly.

"I'm fine," Lily replied with a slight smile.

"Your back isn't hurting again, is it?" Remus asked worriedly his fingers gently rubbing the muscles just above her bum.

"No, but my feet are swollen and Andromeda told me to keep my feet elevated," Lily informed him.

Everyone had been a little surprised that it had taken almost two years for Lily to become pregnant, and Remus had turned into an overprotective husband overnight. He worried about Lily standing too long or sitting too long or overexerting herself. He was driving her absolutely stark raving mad. Remus hovered over her making sure that her feet were properly elevated and getting her a cup of tea.

"Have I told you that I love you?" Remus asked softly a besotted smile on his face.

Lily smiled back. "Not yet today."

"I love you."

"I love you, too you silly wolf," Lily said with an answering smile. "Now go to work."

"Yes ma'am," Remus said dutifully. He tucked her in carefully. "Don't overexert yourself on your Charms work."

"I'm not going to overexert myself," Lily said tartly.

Remus kissed her on the forehead and kissed her still flat belly on his way out the door. Lily rolled her eyes as the door clicked shut behind him.

/

Two years ago, if anyone had been reckless enough to tell Severus Snape that he was going to live in a house with any of the four Gryffindor boys that had made his school life a living hell he would have snorted in amusement and hexed the stuffing out of whomever it was. The only thing that made the situation even remotely tolerable was that Regulus had moved in as soon as he had graduated. Mrs. Pettigrew was a nice old witch even if she was a bit of a hypochondriac and she seemed pleased that her son had made new friends. Peter, Severus and now Regulus were renting the little villa and sharing it amongst themselves. Remus had been living with them, but now he was staying with his sister and his wife at Regulus' squib uncle's house.

Thoughts of the house the girls were staying in immediately devolved into thoughts of Dorcas. Severus still had a difficult time believing that Dorcas saw something of value within him. Every time she said that she loved him it felt as though it were the first time. It still amazed him that she could be so free and open with her emotions. Dorcas was everything that Severus thought he would never have.

It had taken Severus almost a year to realize that he was happy. Potions masteries were notoriously difficult and Severus was doing quite well in his. Usually, a mastery took a minimum of three years. Severus was two years into his potions mastery and he was doing splendidly—his Master had every confidence that he would be able to prove his mastery at the first opportunity. That meant another year of hard work, but he was no shirker.

Spellcrafting was a complex discipline, but Dorcas' Master had nothing but praise for her work. Master Berengier was impressed with Dorcas' acumen for spellcrafting and was confident that she would achieve her mastery in another year. Severus was incredibly proud of his girlfriend. He sighed and twisted his hands together. His mother had been his only real parent and her tuition had been focused on matters pureblood. He wanted Dorcas as more than just a girlfriend. He wanted her for his wife.

"You look so solemn," Dorcas chided him.

Severus glanced up at her and his dark eyes softened. "Just thinking."

"You do rather a lot of that," Dorcas said with a small smile.

"We have one more year to our respective masteries," Severus observed quietly.

Dorcas turned and focused all of her attention on Severus. She tilted her dark head and watched him for a moment. They both knew that there was only one year left to their mastery programs. Severus was not the sort of man who stated the obvious. Perhaps what might occur after they received their masteries was troubling him? Dorcas had done whatever she could to reassure Severus of her affections, but his was a fragile psyche.

"Lily and Remus seem happy," Dorcas said cautiously. "Luckily her mastery is charms and she can continue her work despite her pregnancy."

"Do you suppose that they'll stay here in France?" Severus asked thoughtfully.

"Well, the werewolf restrictions are pretty crippling," Dorcas said slowly. "Remus would have no way of supporting Lily if he moved back to England. Here in France there are already companies interested in his internship."

"I thought Potter and Black were supposed to finagle something with the Wizengamot?" Severus asked his girlfriend.

"Oh they've tried."

Regulus' pleasant tenor startled Dorcas and Severus who were cuddling on a settee in the Pettigrew's parlor. He smiled at the both of them and took a seat in a sturdy wingback.

"Sirius and I have even approached Arcturus and Pollux, but both old goats aren't convinced that it's necessary," Regulus confided in his best friend.

"Have you pointed out that situations like ours will most likely become more common?" Dorcas asked curiously. "They're Old Guard and family is everything to them. Point out that Hermione—as a loyal and dutiful sister—has followed her brother to France. They know that Sirius is interested in her, right? There have to be similar cases where whole families have left wizarding Britain. Families filled with talent and magic. That will appeal to their Slytherin natures. A Slytherin hates to lose an advantage. All that talent slipping out of wizarding Britain would bother them."

"It would," Regulus agreed. He frowned slightly. "My grandfathers are going to want to know about counteracting the dangers of lycanthropy."

"The wolfsbane potion is still in its trial stage with the IWC's Potions Board, but it looks to be very promising. Sev's been following the news and updating all of us," Dorcas countered mildly. "What if wizarding Britain discovered a way to subsidize the potion for Britain's werewolves?"

"That's a possibility. There can't be an inordinate number of magical werewolves in Britain," Regulus said thoughtfully. He frowned and then glanced at Dorcas. "Sirius wants to marry her."

"I know," Dorcas replied calmly. She smiled slightly. "James does as well… you did know that, right?"

"Yes," Regulus admitted. "That might make Arcturus and Pollux happy. An alliance with a small, undistinguished House like Lupin wouldn't thrill my family, but an alliance with House Potter would make my grandfather Arcturus dance a jig."

"Even though it isn't one of the Sacred 38?" Dorcas asked drily.

Regulus snorted. "Are you kidding? Despite the fact that Cantankerous Nott didn't include them on his stupid list their lineage is far more august than most Houses. How many can claim descent from the Peverells, Gaunts, Slytherin and Gryffindor? Very, very few anymore. I think the Longbottoms can claim some Gryffindor blood, but they're one of the only Houses left that can aside from Potter. No, if the Potters had had a daughter my grandfather would have had one of us betrothed to her faster than you can blink."

"What about House McKinnon?" Dorcas asked slyly.

Regulus blushed and looked away. "She seems pretty happy running all over the world and checking in to see me every couple of weeks."

"Marlene has always been a little wild," Dorcas said quietly. "I think that you are good for her… if she didn't have you to check in with I think she might be taking the really risky jobs just to prove that she could."

"Then I shall be glad that my presence dissuades her from such activities," Regulus said stiffly.

"You Slytherin boys are always so over emotional," Dorcas said drily.

Regulus and Severus both gave her a cool stare. She giggled and kissed Severus' chin. Severus sighed and glanced at Regulus with a long-suffering expression that clearly said _see what I have to endure?_

/

"You want to go out tonight?"

Hermione looked up warily. That tone of voice from Marlene always spelled trouble—usually for Hermione once James and Sirius found out what she'd done.

"Out where?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"I dunno… just out," Marlene replied with a too casual shrug. "Maybe Club Ombre?"

"We were very politely asked to never return," Hermione reminded Marlene.

Marlene grinned widely. "Oh yeah. That was a great night."

"That was pretty fun," Hermione admitted.

"You know my cousin is going to a party in Milan tonight," Marlene said thoughtfully. "It's supposed to be pretty amazing."

"We were kicked out of that one trattoria," Hermione reminded Marlene.

"No, no, it's a _private_ party. It'll be cool," Marlene assured her.

"What about Regulus?" Hermione asked cautiously.

"Reg has to do some kind of family thing," Marlene said with a shrug. "He kissed me this morning and told me not to do anything that would show up in the Daily Prophet. The Prophet doesn't cover anything that happens in Italy."

"Oh that's a brilliant plan, Mar," Hermione said drily.

"I thought so," Marlene agreed smugly.

Several hours and several glasses of Grappa later, Hermione had decided that fire breathing was definitely a skill that she _needed_ to add to her resume. Objectively, Hermione knew that Paolo was handsome, but she didn't really care about that—she had James and Sirius for Merlin's sake and she had a hard enough time keeping up with the both of them when they visited on their days off. No, she was fascinated with Paolo's ability to breathe fire.

"Like this, _bella_," Paolo encouraged her.

Hermione did everything Paolo showed her and giggled like a maniac when she got it right.

"Mar! Mar, did you see? I am _totally_ breathing fire!" Hermione crowed ecstatically and demonstrated her new talent.

"Hermione," Marlene said with all the gravity of a completely drunk person, "that was the most incredible thing I have ever seen."

"She is very talented," Paolo agreed his dark eyes lingering appreciatively on Hermione.

"She is also very taken," Marlene said firmly and wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist. She glared at Paolo who held up his hands in defeat.

"I meant no offense, _bella_," Paolo said soothingly.

"C'mon, Mar, don't be cranky. Paolo's just being flirty. I think it's part of the Italian constitution," Hermione said mildly and patted Marlene's face. She paused her face screwed up in concentration before she turned toward Paolo. "Do you have a constitution?"

"Of course," Paolo said proudly, his chest puffing out slightly.

"See? It's in their constitution!" Hermione said firmly and nodded for emphasis.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's gonna be a huge comfort for James and Sirius. We can tell them all about how Paolo was exercising his constitutional rights." Marlene snorted to herself at the idea.

"C'mon, let's go see if they've got any more of those little almond cakes." Hermione marched off in the direction that she'd last seen them and Marlene trailed after her.

"Almond cakes?" Marlene sounded interested and curious.

"Yeah, they're delicious," Hermione said absently.

"Hey, do you think you could breathe fire at my niece's birthday party?" Marlene asked as they threaded their way through the party.

"Sure!" Hermione replied cheerfully.

/

It didn't occur to Hermione to let anyone know that she had hopped across the pond to help Marlene out at her younger cousin's birthday party. The McKinnons had always been kind to Hermione and Marlene's Uncle Nigel and Aunt Iolanthe were just as nice as Marlene's mum and dad. The kids had thought that Hermione's fire breathing was kind of cool, especially since Paolo had taught her the minor enchantments that made the fire turn into different animals. It was simple magic that even young schoolchildren on the continent could do if they were interested because the magical schools there offered Enchantments as a class. She made a fire dragon and a fire hippogriff and a couple other winged creatures that flew out over the party in a shower of sparks. The children had all laughed and clapped and even some of the parents looked impressed. It took Hermione a moment to remember that there were no Enchanters in wizarding Britain and even her rather plebian efforts were considered impressive. She was nowhere near as good as someone like Paolo, but no one here realized that.

After the children's birthday party, Hermione and Marlene were invited to join the McKinnons for dinner and stay the night. Hermione and Marlene were in one of the guest bedrooms giggling and talking about their respective boyfriends when the wards on the house rocked. Hermione and Marlene sat up and stared at one another.

"Death Eaters?" Marlene guessed.

The McKinnon family had been destroyed by Voldemort, Hermione remembered with a dawning sense of horror.

"Your uncle… has he been speaking out against Voldemort?" Hermione whispered afraid that she already knew the answer.

"Yeah," Marlene said flatly. "My family has all been in Gryffindor—they don't have much patience with his sort."

"Then, yes, I would imagine it's Death Eaters," Hermione agreed quietly.

"Aren't you going to lean out the window and tell them to suck it?" Marlene demanded.

"Knock it off, Mar," Hermione snapped. "Come on; let's go kick Death Eater ass."

"Girls, are you all right?" Nigel McKinnon's booming voice was muffled through their door.

"Come on in, Uncle Nigel," Marlene called easily.

During their conversation, both girls had hopped out of bed and were pulling on their clothes. Marlene was wearing her cursebreaker uniform which was mostly dragonhide. Hermione had on a similar outfit—Marlene had insisted upon it because she didn't trust Hermione's newly won fire breathing skills.

"Miss Lupin, Marlene said that you were studying for a mastery in Enchantments. You haven't begun defensive enchantments have you?" Nigel asked politely as the wards shook under another assault.

"Yes sir, I have," Hermione admitted.

"Would you be willing to use any here?" Nigel asked anxiously.

Hermione flushed with embarrassment and bit her lip. Fire breathing animals were one thing—something so small that the magic was untraceable. Defensive enchantments on the other hand would leave a rather strong signature marker. "I can't sir. The interdict against wizarding Britain forbids it. If I do, I'll be expelled from my program. However, Marlene and I can help using anything else. I'm quite handy with defensive magic sir and I'd be happy to lend my wand."

"You are?" Nigel sounded surprised.

"She really is, Uncle Nigel. Our Hermione can use some pretty impressive battle magic," Marlene said in an encouraging voice.

"All right then. You girls have full run of the house. Do whatever you can," Nigel said firmly with a brief nod to each of them.

"Ready?" Hermione asked in that tightly controlled voice she used whenever they fought Death Eaters.

"Ready," Marlene agreed.

Fighting was always a little hazy to Marlene. There was the here and the now—the instant in which you existed—but everything outside of that was rather blurry. She could see the Death Eaters in front of her and she was peripherally aware of Hermione and her relatives fighting alongside her, but the details were lost on her. She heard Hermione call to her sharply several times and Marlene tried to focus on her voice. Uncle Nigel had already called for help, but they all knew that whatever help might come would most likely arrive after it was all over. Hermione's wand was a blur as usual and Marlene saw her cast several spells that she had never seen before.

The McKinnons were easily outnumbered. Hermione had sent a patronus messenger to the Order, but she had no idea if a response would reach them in time. In battle conditions her mind always moved faster, processing information quickly so that she could make quick decisions.

"Sir, do you have defensive spells built into the grounds?" Hermione called toward Nigel McKinnon. "Hogwarts has a spell that makes the statues and armor fight to defend the castle."

"A bit," Nigel managed to say between volleys. "We've a bit of Hufflepuff blood so ours is a bit different. _Tìr a buaidh, 's tìr a dìon!_" He bellowed fiercely.

Hermione blinked at him and he shrugged and grinned.

"We're McKinnons, girl! Did you think _our_ spells are all Latin?" Nigel asked drily.

The very land began to fight against the enemy. Where Death Eaters stood the land became spongy like a swamp. Hermione could see the Death Eaters falter and sink into the ground; she could hear their panicked cries to one another. True awe filled her as she watched a tree wrap itself around one of the Death Eaters and strangle him to death. This was old magic—the ties between the blood of the McKinnons and _their_ land which McKinnons had lived on for centuries—and Hermione devoutly hoped that the land did not perceive her as an enemy of the blood.

A stray shot caught Hermione while she was focused on the McKinnon's land defenses. She swore under her breath and tried to heal her shoulder with a quick _episkey_. It seemed to work only partially because it was still bleeding sluggishly. _Damn_. She hated battle wounds. They always scarred something terrible. Hermione focused back on the situation at hand. Now that the land was helping them it was a far more even match than it had been previously. Hermione shot off several spells that Draco and Harry had come up with on their own. They weren't _dark_ exactly and they weren't like _sectumsempra_, but the Death Eaters on the receiving end certainly hadn't been fans of the spells. Sweat started to run into her eyes and she swiped a hand hurriedly over her face. It was difficult to determine how long they'd been fighting, but her sore muscles and the slight ache in her lower back made her suspect it had been a couple hours.

Hoarse shouts and the sudden flares of white light alerted Hermione to the arrival of the Order. Training and experience made her muscles automatically loosen and relax. She tensed back up again at that. Those white bursts of light did not signal the arrival of Harry or any of the Weasleys or even Draco. The current Order didn't even know who she was. All of these thoughts occurred in the part of her brain that wasn't focused on fighting. Another stray shot headed toward her and she rolled back reflexively to get out of its trajectory. She knew that she looked like she was playing a very strange game of limbo, but she didn't need any more wounds. The one in her shoulder ached enough as it was.

The clap of Nigel McKinnon's hand on her good shoulder startled her and she glanced up at him in surprise. Marlene was laughing in her ear and bouncing with nervous energy. Hermione knew better. That energy might be needed a hell of a lot sooner than one might suppose.

"House McKinnon thanks you Hermione Lupin," Nigel said gravely.

Hermione blinked and snapped to attention. "House Lupin considers it a privilege to defend House McKinnon from encroachment and usurpation."

"You can just say evil. Or the forces of darkness," Marlene suggested with a giddy laugh.

"If ever you have a need," Nigel continued soberly his eyes fixed on Hermione. "Call on me and mine and we shall answer."

"I will remember," Hermione replied and gave a short little bow.

Marlene was helping her with her shoulder when she felt a presence behind her. She turned and looked up at Charlus Potter. She could feel her eyebrows slide up her forehead.

"You seemed to hold your own rather well," Charlus observed mildly.

"Against Death Eaters? I suppose I do," Hermione said absently hissing slightly when Marlene accidently poked her shoulder.

"Sorry," Marlene mumbled.

"That sort of skill level is usually only seen among the Hit Wizards," Charlus added.

Hit Wizards were the crack commandos of the Aurors. They were similar to Special Forces for Muggle military units and they practiced for long hours to gain that sort of skill. Hermione had had nothing so structured, but she'd found that experience was a harsh mistress—you either learned or you died. Where she had come from the fact that she was still alive was a testament to her ability. That and all the scars she bore… or had borne.

"Is it?" Hermione's voice was carefully neutral.

In the two years since she had graduated she hadn't set foot on Potter land and neither had James or Sirius. Hermione had attempted to stay out of any discussions because she did not consider herself part of the Potter family. She had only said that out loud once. James and Sirius had both been upset and she had had to deal with the emotional fall out for a month straight. Andromeda had marched through her Floo and given her a stern lecture that seemed to last interminably long.

"That looks as though it may scar," Charlus observed thoughtfully.

Hermione shrugged. "I'll add it to my collection."

"Moody is impressed with you," Charlus said cautiously. "He's a hard wizard to impress."

"Wasn't my plan," Hermione muttered.

Marlene peered at her from beneath her bangs. One did not usually treat the head of an Ancient and Noble House with such an abrasive manner. Then again, when had Hermione ever done what was normal?

"If I invited you to Potter Manor would you respond?" Charlus asked quietly.

Hermione was silent for a moment. "Just me?"

"No," Charlus replied. "The boys as well. You're a package deal, are you not?"

"So they keep telling me," Hermione agreed with a sigh.

"Then it would be an invitation for all of you," Charlus said firmly.

"I'll speak to James and Sirius then," Hermione replied flatly.

"I'm not making excuses Miss Lupin, but Dorea finds it difficult to be rational when it comes to James. We… we had given up hope of having a child when we found out she was pregnant with James. He has always been precious to us and Dorea finds it difficult to admit that he's a grown man with concerns of his own," Charlus said stiffly.

"I understand, Mr. Potter," Hermione said quietly.

He bowed deeply to her and moved off to speak to Nigel.

"You do realize that you're going to have to explain to James and Sirius why they're receiving an invitation to Potter Manor so they don't refuse it out of hand," Marlene whispered to Hermione.

"Bloody hell."

/

Each of the girls had been allowed to decorate their personal rooms however they wished. Marlene's room was done in variety of blues which she found soothing. Her beautiful four-poster bed had acromantula silk sheets that felt heavenly against her skin. She snuggled into her bed and sighed happily.

"You seem awfully pleased with yourself." Regulus' light tenor sounded amused.

Marlene cracked one eyelid and peered up at him. The youngest Black brother was leaning against the headboard with her sheets pooled in his lap. His golden skin drew her gaze up his torso. He'd filled out in the last couple of years. Regulus' shoulders were broader, but he would always have a lean frame. A sparse trail of hair encircled his belly button and then marched down below the sheet. Marlene smirked to herself for a moment and then focused back on Regulus' face. She'd heard someone say once that Regulus wasn't as handsome as Sirius. Obviously that person needed to have his or her eyes checked. Regulus dark eyes regarded her affectionately.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Marlene purred at him.

Regulus' eyes dimmed slightly and he frowned. "Why do you travel so much then?"

"What do you mean, Reg? I'm a curse breaker—it sort of comes with the job," Marlene said slowly.

"I know that you could take jobs closer to here, but you don't. Is it… do you not want to do this anymore?" Regulus voice had gotten rougher, hoarser.

"What?" Marlene snorted at the ridiculousness of that idea. "No, you silly man. I figure if you get me in small doses you won't get sick of me. I think it's working pretty well."

"I'll never get sick of you, Marlene," Regulus said huskily.

Marlene swallowed. Things had suddenly shifted from lazy weekend sex to a serious conversation about their relationship.

"You say that now," Marlene said flatly.

"No," Regulus countered instantly. "No, Marlene. Don't even think about saying it. Listen to me very carefully. I will _never _get sick of you. I love you."

"Oh." Marlene stared up at him.

Regulus Black was every pureblood mama's dream come true. He was polite, polished and came with a pedigree so vaunted that it made most people self-conscious. The Black family wasn't exactly poor either. Marlene knew that some of her mum's friends whispered about her; the wild girl who dared to become a curse breaker and live in France—which most of them considered a den of iniquity. She knew that her mum despaired of her ever marrying a nice pureblood boy.

"That's all you have to say? Oh?" Regulus was frowning down at her.

"Are you sure?" Marlene asked hesitantly.

He blinked at her. Then he got up and slid out of her bed. Marlene sat up and watched him move about her bedroom stark naked. Was he leaving? Tension coiled through her, but she couldn't help admiring Regulus' natural grace as he moved. The luck of the genetic draw had been extremely kind to the Black brothers.

"Marlene, I've never been more sure of anything in my life," Regulus said finally. He moved back toward her and knelt in front of her. He held out a small box with slightly shaking hands.

The glitter of sapphires winked at her from their black velvet case.

"Regulus," Marlene whispered. She looked down at him and saw the uncertainly in his eyes. She hated seeing that look in his eyes and she hated being the one who put that look there. It had taken her a long time to get to this place in her life where she felt good about herself and her abilities. She would always care about Hermione, but it was nowhere near the way she felt about Regulus. "I love you."

"So that's a yes then?" He asked in a shaky voice.

_Why were the Black brothers so insecure—so sure that no one could love them the way they loved others?_

"I—Merlin, Regulus," Marlene whispered. She swallowed hard. "Yes."

Faster than she could credit it, Regulus wrapped his arms around her and pulled her tight against his chest. Marlene rested her palms on the smooth muscle and stretched up to press her lips to his. Regulus opened his mouth to her and Marlene teased him with little licks and nibbles. He groaned against her lips and his arms tightened around her. He placed open-mouthed kisses along her jaw until he reached her neck. Regulus nibbled on her pulse point.

"When?" Regulus breathed against her collarbone.

"McKinnons marry in June," Marlene panted into his ear. "There's a Marriage Tree on our land."

"Grandfather may want to come," Regulus murmured against the skin of her breast. He wrapped his lips around her nipple and suckled.

Marlene buried her fingers in Regulus' hair and pulled. She whimpered when he shifted to her other breast.

"Regulus," she moaned helplessly.

"I'm right here love." He picked her up and tossed her back into her bed. He grinned wickedly at her and climbed back into the bed with her.

/

"Are you still in trouble?" Dorcas asked curiously.

Hermione stood up and wandered to the nearest window. "The sky's still blue so… yeah."

"How mad are they?" Marlene asked curiously.

"You know how mad they were when I went to Moscow for that one Enchanters Convention and that Russian wizard kept hitting on me?" Hermione replied with a sigh.

"Oh," Marlene, Dorcas and Lily said in unison their voices gloomy.

"Yeah." Hermione agreed.

"Well, they can't stay mad forever, right?" Lily glanced around their small group looking for support.

"I suppose not," Dorcas said doubtfully.

"Hey, do you want to go out tonight?" Marlene asked gently, nudging Hermione with her shoulder.

"I guess so. I'd like to see Paolo again." Hermione said thoughtfully. "I was wondering if the little fire animals could be altered into defensive enchantments."

"That would be a brilliant idea," Dorcas said slowly her spellcrafting interests piqued.

"I thought so. I mean, if they can be that might be the topic of my mastery project," Hermione explained eagerly.

"Could I come along to that?" Dorcas asked shyly. "I'd love to pick his brain about the possibilities of actual spellcrafting for the fire animals. We could change it from an enchantment to something else."

"I love the way your mind works," Hermione cried happily.

"I'd come with, but my feet are swollen again and the healer's worried about my blood pressure," Lily said with a sad smile.

"Oh, love, we'll bring you those little almond cakes," Marlene said encouragingly.

"Remus will be home soon, won't he?" Hermione asked.

Lily nodded.

"Then we're definitely leaving. The full moon is in just a couple days and his wolf is going to be all territorial and protective. That's going to translate into rampant wolf-sex and I _really_ don't want to see that," Hermione said with a grimace.

The other girls laughed at her and all of them gave Lily gentle hugs whilst being mindful of her belly.

"We'll be back soon, Lils. Tell my idiot brother that I love him, but if I come home and find you two naked in the parlor or the kitchen _again_ I'm going to pitch a fit. If Messrs. Potter and Black deign to grace you with their presence I am out. Even if I'm in, I'm out. I'm getting tired of being in trouble for going to an 8 year-old witch's birthday party," Hermione instructed her sister-in-law.

"I wondered when our feisty Hermione was going to come back," Marlene chuckled.

"I felt guilty for a bit because I could have been seriously injured and I didn't tell anyone I was coming to wizarding Britain which _is_ dangerous right now. However, I had no way of knowing that was going to happen. If they had their way I wouldn't go to the patisserie in the morning for brioche and croissants and that's just ridiculous," Hermione grumbled.

"True," Marlene agreed.

"You don't really think that Greyback is still interested in you… do you?" Dorcas asked curiously.

"I honestly don't know," Hermione admitted. "He tends to fixate on things so it's possible."

"Merlin, I hope not," Lily murmured with a little frown.

"Oh, don't worry about it Lily. You'll just make your blood pressure even higher," Hermione said gently and patted her sister-in-law on the shoulder.

The three girls bumped into Remus on their way out the door, but he was in a hurry to get to his pretty mate and he waved absently at them as he hurried toward Lily. Dorcas, Marlene and Hermione linked arms and walked down the street smiling and laughing with one another.


	14. Marring What's Well

_A/N: People have asked where exactly this "fits" in with the OT (original timeline). Well, according to the Wikis the Marauders were all born in 59/60, which should mean that their first year ought to have been '71. It logically follows that their class graduated in '78. The last chapter should have taken place sometime in 1980. For the sake of argument let's say that it was very early 1980. Lily's pregnant. If anyone thinks things are moving quickly… take that up with JKR. The timeframe mirrors Lily's first pregnancy (in the OT—not that she's had other pregnancies). Right! Everyone's play card up-to-date? Excellent! _

/

_March 15__th__ 1980_

"Beware the ides of March," Hermione muttered under her breath.

"What was that?" James asked as he turned toward her.

Hermione replied trying to appear as innocent as possible. "Nothing." She smiled guilelessly.

James eyed her suspiciously before turning back to Sirius. "Ready?"

"Not really, but we haven't much choice," Sirius muttered with a quick glance at Hermione. He straightened his robes one last time before going through the Floo.

Hermione looked up at James through her lashes. "Do we have to?"

"You're the one who told him you'd come," James pointed out.

Hermione glared at him her expression indignant. "He cornered me after fighting Death Eaters!"

"Which you shouldn't even have been doing in the first place!" James growled.

Hermione's eyes narrowed dangerously and she glared at her boyfriend. "So I was just supposed to stand there and make a lovely target? Are you mad?"

"More so every day," James shot back breathing a little faster. He couldn't help the tight constriction in his chest every time he thought about something happening to Hermione. "Now go through the Floo. You aren't going to start a fight so you can avoid this dinner."

Hermione's lips pressed together in a thin line and she marched over to the Floo with her back ramrod straight. _Great_. He'd gone and pissed her off and they weren't even at his parent's house yet. That had to be a record. He sighed taking a moment to wallow in his currently pathetic state before he went through the Floo. James loved Hermione with every fiber of his being—just like he loved Sirius—but sometimes he was overcome with the urge to throttle her. Surely that couldn't be normal. He'd ask his dad except he wasn't really talking to his dad.

It felt strange to be in Potter Manor again after almost two years and he moved automatically toward Hermione and Sirius as soon as he was through the Floo to make sure that they were all right. Sirius rolled his eyes at James and flashed a grin. Hermione appeared grateful for their presence and James placed a hand at the small of her back. She seemed to relax a little at his touch and he slid his hand over so that he could grip her hip.

Hermione took a deep breath and seemed to hold it. "Ready?"

"Yeah," Sirius said softly. He touched James' hand lightly and tried to look encouraging.

The evening was just as stilted and awkward as one might suppose. James was still unhappy with his mother, but he couldn't bear the sad look in her eyes. He knew that he was holding himself stiffly and that his jaw was clenched tightly because his shoulders were aching with the tension. At least he was doing slightly better than Sirius who took any perceived slight to his loved ones as an egregious act. Sirius had retreated within the cold, haughty persona of 'young Master Black' that he usually only used on strangers and hangers-on. James could see that every time Sirius responded in his stiffly formal voice his mother looked even sadder than before.

"Hermione, Auror Moody speaks very highly of you," Charlus stated and glanced down the table at her.

"How do you know Moody?" Sirius demanded in surprise.

Hermione's cheeks flushed a delicate pink. "We worked together on a couple different projects."

"What projects? What a minute—you mean when he was doing those top secret missions for the Order!" James stood abruptly and was staring across the table at his girlfriend.

"Those were supposed to be incredibly dangerous," Sirius added with a dark frown directed at Hermione.

Hermione snorted and shook her head. "I knew what I was doing and Moody was the least likely to get himself hurt helping me."

"Dumbledore said that your assistance was instrumental to the cause," Charlus continued ignoring his sons.

Hermione snorted in derision. "Let us just say that the intelligence was bought at great cost."

"What cost?" Dorea asked sharply.

Hermione turned to Dorea and her eyes became flat and cold. Dorea shuddered involuntarily looking into those eyes. "Lives, Mrs. Potter. Too many of them."

"I see," Dorea replied in a subdued voice.

"We were pleased to hear of Regulus' engagement to Marlene McKinnon." Charlus had turned to Sirius with a determined expression.

"The grandfathers Black are pleased as well," Sirius replied with a slight smile. "It takes a lot to make both Arcturus and Pollux happy, but Reg managed it."

"It was all Marlene," James said with a fond smile for Hermione's best friend. "All it took was one afternoon tea and they were convinced that Marlene hung the moon. Reg thinks that they like her more than they do him."

Silence stretched out over the table and everyone avoided looking at Hermione because the obvious comparison made all of them uncomfortable.

"When is the wedding?" Charlus asked after several painful minutes.

"June," Hermione replied calmly. "The McKinnons have a Marriage Tree and they wish to incorporate it into the ceremony."

Charlus made the appropriate noises and dinner again fell into an uneasy silence. James watched his mother fidget for several minutes before she turned to Hermione again. Out of the corner of his eye James saw his father and Sirius steel themselves for whatever might happen.

"Did you attend the tea with Marlene?" Dorea asked politely.

Hermione took a sip of her wine. "I did."

"And how did you find Arcturus and Pollux?" Dorea pressed further.

Sirius snickered to himself and then looked slightly embarrassed that he'd let his persona slip. Charlus and Dorea both turned to their son who was flushing slightly.

"Well, son?" Charlus asked with a pointed glance.

"It went well," James muttered stiffly.

Sirius snickered again and the elder Potters turned to Hermione for an explanation. She looked utterly calm and composed her back ramrod straight and a wine glass held elegantly in one hand.

Finally Hermione sighed. "Cassiopeia likes me. She spent the entire time picking my brain."

"_Cassiopeia_ liked you?" Dorea whispered faintly her dark eyes wide.

"I think it helped that Hermione was able to argue spells with her and kept referring to research that the Blacks had done in the respective areas. Which reminds me love, how did you know so much about that?" Sirius demanded turning toward his girlfriend.

Hermione smiled weakly and gave a half-hearted shrug. "I read a lot."

"It was creepy when Hermione and Cassiopeia started talking about the Dark Arts. Hermione would argue that certain spells were inefficient or too time-consuming and she actually suggested alternatives to Cassiopeia. Seriously who needs a _more efficient_ spell to flay the skin off of an enemy?" James protested looking to his father for support.

"Cassiopeia's harmless," Hermione countered with a wave of her hand.

"_Cassiopeia_ _Black_?" Dorea was incredulous. Cassiopeia was a difficult witch to deal with at the best of times—she made Augusta Longbottom appear soft and warm.

"I have to agree with Hermione, son," Charlus said with a slight smile. "For Cassiopeia it's all academic. She likes to study and experiment, but she's not going to run out and use a skin-flaying spell on a village of Muggles. She'd much rather tinker in her potions lab."

"If you say so Dad," James scoffed. He didn't care what anyone said—Cassiopeia Black gave him the willies.

The rest of the dinner was slightly warmer and Dorea kept watching Hermione with a tiny frown. James hoped that his mother was able to reconcile with Hermione peaceably because he wasn't certain how many more of these dinners he could attend without going completely spare. Sirius seemed slightly more relaxed and so did his father. Hermione and his mother still appeared to be slightly stiff, but James liked to think that it was slightly less so than earlier.

_May 31, 1980_

"I hate this," Lily muttered petulantly.

"Here, shaved ice just like you asked," Hermione said briskly and shoved a tall glass filled with shaved ice at Lily.

Lily glared suspiciously at the glass. "What flavor is this?"

"Lemon. Really, Lily do you think I would dare bring you any other flavor?" Hermione asked with a heavy sigh.

"It's not like I _enjoy_ you waiting on me hand and foot," Lily grumbled.

Just then a loud moan drifted down the stairs followed by the rhythmic thumping of the headboard hitting the wall. Both women snorted at one another and rolled their eyes.

"They're going to break the bed. Again." Lily managed to look vaguely disapproving before a grin stretched across her face and she took a bit of her shaved ice.

"Who's going to break the bed again?" Marlene asked curiously as she walked into the kitchen twisting her long blonde hair into a serviceable chignon.

Hermione and Lily blinked in surprise.

"Not you, I guess," Hermione said slowly. She gasped and started giggling hysterically. "Which means…oh! OH!"

"He's a lot more energetic than he looks," Marlene murmured speculatively.

"Mmm, unplumbed depths and all that, I'm sure," Hermione agreed.

Lily blushed bright red and tried to eat her ice.

"Well, we've got to go. Sure you'll be okay with the live porno going on upstairs?" Marlene asked with a grin.

Lily gazed up at them with wide emerald-green eyes. "Do you have to?"

"Yes," the other two women said in unison.

"Can you at least do that sound dampening spell on the ceiling?" Lily begged shamelessly.

"Of course, Lils," Marlene agreed. She pulled out her wand and waved it at the ceiling. The thumping and moaning suddenly ceased. "Better?"

Lily gave a blissful sigh and relaxed against the loveseat. "Yes. Thank you so much."

"Anything for you little mama," Marlene drawled.

Lily glared at her. "Just go." She growled.

Hermione and Marlene saluted her smartly and then turned on their heels and left.

_June 2__nd__ 1980_

"What is a marriage tree?" Lily asked as she shifted slightly to relieve her back. She was heavily pregnant and it was difficult for her to sit in one position for too long.

Hermione nibbled her lower lip and thought about the best way to explain to her slightly repressed sister-in-law. "Well, a few of the older families have them—usually the pre-Conquest families like the McKinnons or the Flints. It's… really what it is is the first tree planted on the land by the family. It was bound to the land and to the family through blood, sweat and tears. It serves as a focus for major events and contracts for the family. Historically, women of the family would give birth beneath it and then have the tree recognize the offspring."

"That sounds, um, intense," Lily said finally. She frowned at Hermione. "So what exactly happens at a wedding like that?"

"Traditionally, the bride and groom are naked. They cut their palms with a sacred blade and bleed on the tree. A priest or priestess or whoever joins them together and they consummate the union under the tree," Hermione explained while she nibbled a biscuit and sipped at her tea.

Lily stared at her a biscuit halfway to her mouth. "They do not!"

"They do," Marlene said breezily as she sauntered into the room. She glanced at Hermione. "What are you talking about?"

Hermione explained and Marlene nodded.

Marlene eyed Hermione curiously. "Oh yeah. We do. How do you know so much about Marriage Trees?"

"The Lovegoods have one," Hermione replied with a shrug.

"You do know that that's not really an answer?" Marlene asked drily with a quirked eyebrow.

"Yeah," Hermione agreed.

"So, are you going to pop out Junior in the middle of my wedding? That would be kind of cool and it would take some of the pressure off of Regulus." Marlene's china-blue eyes were glinting wickedly and she had a naughty smile curving her lips.

"What?" Lily shrieked, horrified, her eyes wide.

"Oh come on, Lils don't be such a stick-in-the-mud," Marlene cajoled her.

Hermione eyed her best friend sternly. "Marlene, be nice."

"Sorry Lils," Marlene apologized.

Lily appeared concerned. "Regulus is fairly circumspect especially when one considers that he's Sirius' brother."

Hermione gave a deep belly laugh and Marlene chuckled.

"What?" Lily demanded.

"Sirius is not your typical Black," Hermione managed to gasp out. "Most of them are more like Regulus."

"How is it that you know so much about all this stuff?" Lily demanded crankily.

"I _am_ a half-blood, Lily, just like Remus. It isn't as though I grew up in a vacuum," Hermione informed her sister-in-law and felt only a little guilty at the lie. Well, it wasn't a total lie. The Weasleys and later Andromeda had been quite instructive in customs and manners.

"I keep forgetting," Lily mumbled to herself and frowned. She shot a worried glance to Marlene and Hermione. "Do you think that's the pregnancy?"

"Of course not, Lily, don't be silly. You've just got a lot on your mind. Any idea what you'll name Junior?" Hermione asked curiously.

Fear of screwing things up to a fantastical extent had sealed Hermione's lips when it came to her niece or nephew. Lily and Remus had declined knowledge of the baby's sex so Hermione really wasn't sure _what_ was in there. They had asked everyone's opinion on names, but Hermione had refused to participate. She was terrified of saying the wrong thing so she avoided the subject whenever it came up. She hoped that it was Harry in there, but she couldn't be sure.

Lily nibbled her lip in an anxious manner and then looked at Hermione. "Remus likes Rhea or Silvia for a girl."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Could he be any more obvious?"

"Your middle name is Rhea, isn't it?" Lily asked shyly.

Hermione sighed and nodded. "Yeah," she admitted.

"What about for a boy?" Marlene asked eagerly.

"Well, we can't really agree on that," Lily said with a disgruntled expression. "He wants to—OH!"

"What?" Marlene asked quickly.

Lily jerked off of the loveseat and stood staring down at her feet where a puddle was forming.

"Your water broke!" Hermione squealed.

"What!" Peter Pettigrew was frozen in the doorway a look of terror on his face.

"Oh, Peter, perfect timing!" Hermione chirped with a bright smile. "Would you be a love and go fetch Andromeda?"

"Right away!" Peter squeaked and ran for the Floo.

"Excellent. Now let's walk out in the garden a bit," Marlene said encouragingly.

Each girl took one of Lily's elbows and helped her out into the small enclosed garden. Hermione ran to the kitchen to send owls to everyone and then hurried back to Marlene and Lily. Andromeda arrived quickly with a pale Peter in tow; she deposited him in the kitchen with a pot of tea and told him to wrangle the boys when they showed up. Remus burst out into the garden not fifteen minutes later and Marlene and Hermione took the amber glow in his eyes as their cue to vacate the area.

In the early hours of the next morning a lusty wail woke Hermione from her doze and she sat up abruptly startling James and Sirius who were sitting on either side of her on the loveseat.

"Wha's happening?" Sirius mumbled looking about blearily.

"Go back to sleep love," Hermione murmured and kissed his temple.

Sirius snuggled closer to James and the two of them were breathing deeply and evenly in no time.

"Hermione?" Andromeda looked exhausted, but she was smiling. "Remus and Lily said that they want you to come up."

The smile on Remus' face was almost blinding in its fierce joy and pride and Hermione felt herself tearing up as she drew near to him. She peered into his arms and gasped softly. The tiny face was the most beautiful she'd ever seen and time stopped for a just a moment.

"We're going to call him Harry after Lily's grandfather," Remus murmured to his sister.

"Hello Harry," Hermione whispered to the tiny figure in her brother's arms. "I'm your Aunt Hermione."

/

_June 21__st__ 1980_

"Who's a handsome boy," Hermione cooed a soft expression in her brown eyes.

"Well we know she's not talking about us," Sirius muttered to James a sulky expression on his face.

Truth be told, Sirius had a point. Hermione had taken to aunt hood as though it were some sort of sacred calling. She absolutely adored Harry and tried to spend as much time with him as Lily would allow. It wasn't that she neglected James or Sirius… it was just that she basically ignored them and lavished all of her attention on her nephew. Sirius wasn't the only one who was feeling a bit sulky about that.

The Black-McKinnon wedding was the pureblood social event of the year and the Blacks and McKinnons had invited absolutely everyone. Hermione was sitting next to Remus who was holding Harry.

"Cousin," Narcissa Malfoy acknowledged Sirius with a brief nod.

"Narcissa," Sirius replied and gave a small bow.

Before James could credit it, Hermione was wedged between them smiling beatifically at Narcissa.

"I don't believe I've had the pleasure," Hermione announced and looked expectantly at Sirius.

"Narcissa you know James. This is our third, Hermione Lupin," Sirius stated.

Narcissa turned to look at Hermione and examined her silently for several minutes. Then she held out her hand and a small smile graced her lips. "Aunt Cassiopeia speaks highly of you."

"She is a brilliant witch. It was my privilege to speak with her," Hermione replied with her own small smile.

Lucius Malfoy approached his wife with their infant son in his arms. Hermione's eyes became soft and liquid and when she spoke her voice was soft and breathy.

"And who is this handsome wizard?"

James and Sirius stiffened next to her outraged when she moved quickly toward Lucius. Narcissa's eyes had widened in surprise.

"Aren't you just the most adorable little wizard? How old is he Narcissa?" Hermione turned to Narcissa with an animated smile.

Narcissa smiled back. "He's just over two weeks. We've named him Draco."

"A perfect name for him," Hermione agreed immediately and turned to coo at the little bundle. "Who's going to be the Prince of Slytherin? Hmm? That's right, you are!"

Lucius blinked in surprise and turned to his wife's cousin who appeared disgusted. Narcissa was busy cooing her complete agreement and both women were smiling indulgently at one another.

Later in the afternoon James and Sirius were standing with Peter sipping champagne and scowling at everyone.

"It's disturbing is what it is," Sirius complained.

Peter rubbed thoughtfully at his chin. "D'you suppose she, erm, she wants a baby?"

"A baby?" James exclaimed turning to stare at his friend.

"Well, you said that she was spending all her time playing with Harry and with the Malfoy baby. Have you considered that perhaps she wants her own baby?" Peter suggested.

James and Sirius continued to stare at Peter.

"Well… why else would she be so fascinated by the babies?" Peter offered with a helpless gesture.

"Do you think that—"

"—I don't know, Siri."

"She seemed to be against—"

"—but that's because of my mum… what she said."

"So you think she'd—"

"Definitely."

Both men's shoulders slumped dejectedly. Peter blinked his watery eyes rapidly.

"I'm not sure what's just happened," he murmured slowly.

"Isn't it obvious?" James said in a dejected tone.

Peter frowned and looked from James to Sirius uncertainly. "Well, no, it isn't. What are you two talking about?"

"Look, my mum said some not very nice things about Hermione—suggested she was trying to scam us for money or prestige or something. They still aren't getting along. If we tried to ask Hermione to marry us she'd just say no. It's hopeless," James concluded turning sad eyes to Peter.

"We were barely able to convince her to date us," Sirius added morosely.

Peter glanced around hesitantly and then looked back at Sirius and James. "You're not asking _me_ for relationship advice… are you?"

"Why not?" James demanded.

Sirius nodded with a scowl. "You've usually got a girlfriend. This last one you dated for what… a year?"

"Two years," Peter muttered and rolled his eyes.

James waved his hands. "See? Girls like you. They stick around. How do you do that?"

"How much champagne have you had?" Peter asked suspiciously.

"A bit," Sirius conceded.

Peter rubbed his hand over his face and sighed. "Right. Um, listen to her. Don't interrupt her to tell her what you've been doing or who you pranked at the DMLE—listen to what she has to say."

"That's it? Listen to her?" James appeared dumbfounded.

"If you didn't want to help you could have just said so," Sirius grumbled.

"Peter? I'm ready to go if you are," Deborah or Leslie or whoever-she-was called to them.

Peter gave a half-wave to his girlfriend and turned back to James and Sirius. "Look, I have to go. If you don't believe me… ask Remus."

James and Sirius watched Peter leave with his girlfriend. Then they turned and watched Hermione who was still cooing at Draco Malfoy.

"Maybe she _does_ want a baby," Sirius murmured to James.

"We could get her one," James said thoughtfully. "There are orphaned witches and wizards. She might like that."

/

_July 29__th__ 1980_

Hermione jerked awake with a gasp, sitting up in her bed and looking around her blearily. _What had woken her?_ She shoved her bedclothes down and slid out of her bed. Padding restlessly across her floor didn't help. Finally she gave up and snuck down to Harry's nursery. He was awake and he blinked his eyes at her. He was only two months old and his eyes were still that neutral blue that all babies' eyes were in the beginning. There were several arguments about what color Harry's eyes would be, but Hermione had stayed out of all of them. She knew they would be a beautiful emerald-green just like Lily, but she said nothing. Harry gurgled at her. Hermione laughed softly and picked Harry up cradling him carefully against her chest.

"How's my favorite boy?" She cooed softly as she swayed from side to side.

Harry burbled and waved a tiny fist at her.

"Well, I do like him, too," Hermione agreed. "He's a bit young for me though. Maybe you can figure out a way to entertain him?"

Harry burbled again.

"Oh, don't lie to me honey," Hermione contradicted. "Don't forget, I know _all_ of your dirty secrets."

A dry chuckle from behind them startled Hermione. She turned quickly tucking Harry against her chest protectively.

"He's two months old, Hermione. What secrets could he possibly have?" Remus asked with a fond smile for his little sister.

Hermione arched a brow at him and lifted her chin. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"C'mon little man. Time to go see Mummy," Remus said gently and held his arms out to Hermione.

One last look at Harry's innocent little baby face and a reluctant sigh and Hermione handed Harry over to his dad. Remus took Harry carefully and grinned down at the baby in his arms. That dopey smile—the one right there that made Remus look like a lovesick loon—that was what made all of this _click_ for Hermione. She stood in Harry's nursery and stared out the window at Paris' skyline. The small clock on Harry's dresser showed the time: 11:59 p.m.

Without even thinking about it Hermione moved toward her room and started changing her clothes. She paused for a moment and frowned to herself. Lily and Remus were busy with Harry. Marlene was on her honeymoon with Regulus. Dorcas and Hermione were the only single girls left. She crept down the hall and snuck into Dorcas' room.

"Dorcas?" Hermione whispered into the darkness.

"Hermione?" Dorcas mumbled. Too many years of being dorm mates and then housemates had Dorcas sitting up abruptly and shoving the hair out of her eyes. "What are doing Hermione?"

"I need to go out and I wanted to know if you wanted to come with," Hermione whispered.

The whispery slide of Dorcas pulling her wand out from under her pillow was Hermione's only forewarning. A soft glow lit the room and Dorcas squinted at Hermione blearily. Hermione was wearing skin-tight leather pants, knee-high leather boots and a strategically ripped t-shirt that proclaimed 'Gryffindors go hard or go home'. Dorcas wasn't quite sure where Hermione found these shirts, but at least it wasn't the one that said 'werewolves do it under a full moon'. That one had given Lily fits.

"Okay," Dorcas agreed finally.

Hermione grinned at her. "Really?"

"Yeah. Just let me throw on something," Dorcas mumbled.

A short time later found them slipping into a small, dark wizarding bar that was still open. Hermione ordered two shots of Ogden's. Dorcas stared at her shot and then looked up at Hermione with a question in her eyes. Hermione lifted her shot glass with a determined air.

"To Neville! Happy Birthday mate," Hermione said softly and then knocked back her shot. She gasped and made a face. "Did that taste off to you?"

"Off?" Dorcas asked and looked curiously into her shot glass. She took a tentative sip and made a face. "That doesn't taste like Ogden's."

Hermione stood up to head to the bar and complain, but her legs wouldn't work right. She stumbled slightly and clung to Dorcas trying to find her center of gravity.

"Dorcas?" Hermione's voice sounded slightly panicky.

The bartender was moving toward them or at least Hermione thought he was. Her vision was swimming.

"What do I do, Hermione?" Dorcas' voice was definitely panicky.

"Get us outta here, Dorcas. I can't," Hermione managed to get out.

Fingers fumbling Dorcas pulled out her wand and tried to Apparate. "It's not working!"

"Anti-Apparation wards," Hermione mumbled, her voice slurred. "Por'key? Snape's a paranoid bastard."

"Hang on, hang on," Dorcas wailed, digging in her purse. Her fingers closed around the cold metal of the medallion Snape had given her. "Got it!"

"Now, Dorcas." Hermione's face was pressed into Dorcas' neck and her words were mumbled against the other girl's skin.

The bartender had reached them and tried to grab Hermione, but Dorcas shifted and Hermione followed her. The medallion clutched tightly in her fingers Dorcas whispered the word that activated it. The strange hook behind the navel sensation felt even worse with the little bit of the whatever-it-was in her veins. She glanced automatically toward Hermione who was sprawled on the floor unconscious. Dorcas bit her lip and looked around. They appeared to be in a small cottage, but it didn't look familiar.

Hermione was right—Severus was a paranoid bastard—and he had made sure that his girlfriend had a special portkey that would take her to a 'safe house'. She wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but she'd bet a galleon that Hermione would. This place was supposed to be isolated and protected from attack. Dorcas felt her breath hitch in her throat now that the immediate threat was gone. She took a deep, shuddering breath and got down on her knees next to Hermione feeling for her pulse. Dorcas frowned; she was no healer, but Hermione's pulse seemed erratic. Her vision swam in front of her eyes and she swayed slightly. _What had been in those drinks_? Dorcas slumped forward over Hermione's supine form as her muscles gave out on her. Spots appeared in her line of vision and Dorcas whimpered helplessly. _Bloody hell_. Consciousness seemed to be slipping from her no matter how tightly she tried to hold on. _Severus_, she thought helplessly as blackness claimed her.

/

_A/N: I don't usually do cliffhangers because they irritate me personally. So I apologize for this and I hope to update soon. I will just warn you in advance that threats of bodily harm or spanking don't really work on me. Well, they *work* just not that way. Yeah… shutting up now. _


	15. Poison Temper'd

In the middle of the night Harry started screaming at the top of his lungs and wouldn't stop. Remus tried everything he could think of, but nothing was working. His tiny son smelled of fear, but there was nothing in his room that could scare him. Lily held Harry, rocking him gently, but he continued to scream. Remus was peripherally aware of the fact that normally Hermione would already be in the room demanding to know what _he_ was doing to upset her precious boy, but he was too focused on Harry to notice how odd it was that Hermione had _not_ come in. Tears trembled on Lily's lashes when she looked up at Remus.

"Go get her," Lily sighed. "He always settles down for her."

Hermione wasn't in her room. Remus hurried down the hall to Dorcas' room where he assumed the two girls were having a girls' night. Dorcas' room was empty and the lights were out. Remus frowned and moved back down the hall where Harry's screaming was escalating and Lily was in tears herself.

"Where's Hermione?" Lily demanded.

"I don't know," Remus admitted. He bit his lip and wondered if Dorcas and Hermione might have gone to see Severus. "Let me call Pete and Sev and see if the girls are over there."

"Dorcas isn't here either?" Lily asked in surprise.

Remus shifted nervously from foot to foot. "No," he admitted.

"Remus, I'm worried," Lily said in a small voice.

"Me too."

There isn't a person alive that enjoys being woken at two in the morning, but Severus was intelligent enough to realize that Remus wasn't waking him up because he was bored. He came down the stairs with his bed robe wrapped securely around him and his hair mussed.

"What's going on Remus?" Severus asked with a small frown.

"Dorcas and Hermione are missing," Remus blurted and then flushed.

In one moment Severus became preternaturally still. He appeared to be frozen and his eyes had widened. Remus had always considered Severus to be a pale person, but that night he became even paler. White as a sheet had never really meant much to Remus, but Severus really _was_.

"When?" Severus barked over his shoulder as he headed up the stairs.

Remus followed him up the stairs because it seemed like the thing to do. "We're not sure. Harry woke up screaming a little after one. I went to find Hermione and neither she nor Dorcas was at the house."

"That's troubling," Severus muttered and he appeared to be worried. He glanced at the clock in his room and sighed. "There's no help for it. Go tell Peter to get dressed. We're going to go visit a friend of mine."

Obediently, Remus walked down to Peter's room to find his fellow Marauder pulling on his shoes, grabbing his wand and stuffing it into the arm holster Hermione had given him for Christmas.

"Pete?" Remus just stared at the meekest and mildest of the Marauders.

"Hermione and Dorcas are in trouble, right?" Peter stated flatly. He looked Remus up and down. "You didn't think you were leaving me behind, did you?"

"Um… no?"

"Good answer," Peter said with a curt nod. "Sev ready?"

"I am," Severus announced in cold, clipped tones.

"Let's go then," Peter replied.

Remus trailed after both wizards with a bemused expression.

Sometime later Remus stared at the huge house in front of them, jumping when a peacock screeched. "Why are we _here_?"

"Lucius has access to information we need," Severus replied flatly.

The tight line of Severus' shoulder and the muscle ticking in his jaw would have been cues that Severus was freaking out about Dorcas' disappearance. The werewolf senses added a layer of fear and worry that made Remus blink in surprise; he had known that Severus was quite fond of Dorcas, but apparently it was much deeper than that. It was rather obvious to Remus that Severus _loved_ Dorcas. So Remus kept his mouth shut and followed Severus into Malfoy Manor. Remus paused for a moment confused when he heard hysterical screaming. Then Lucius came into view, pacing with a small screaming baby in his arms. Remus frowned at the similarity between the Malfoy baby and his own son.

"Now is not a good time, Severus," Lucius muttered as he tried to jiggle his son.

Remus weighed his options carefully and then cleared his throat politely. "When did he start crying?"

Lucius sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. "Merlin, I don't know. A little after one, I think."

"That's the same time Harry started crying," Remus told Severus in an undertone.

Severus frowned. "Do you think they're connected?"

"I don't know, but at this point I'm willing to grasp at straws," Remus muttered at him.

Quickly, Severus explained the situation at Remus' place and the fact that little Harry Lupin had also begun screaming inexplicably a little after one.

"You believe that there is some sort of connection between _my _son and Lupin's boy?" Lucius' lip wasn't quite curled, but there was enough of a sneer to his voice to make Remus' eyes narrow.

"I don't know, Lucius," Severus growled, "but if it helps find Dorcas I'll try _anything_."

Lucius blinked. "I see," he murmured.

"Lucius," Narcissa called as she hurried into the room. "Aunt Cassiopeia says she'll come right away—what's going on?"

Malfoy Manor became a lot more crowded when Lucius and Narcissa suggested that Remus bring Lily and Harry. If there were some sort of connection between the screaming and Hermione then it might help if both babies were together. By the time Remus returned with his wife and son in tow Cassiopeia Black was standing in the middle of a drawing room arguing with Severus. Remus' respect for Severus grew tenfold as he went toe-to-toe with the formidable potions mistress.

"Wait," Cassiopeia commanded in ringing tones. "Did you say that both boys started crying after Hermione disappeared? What about Lycorias' True Heart Spell?"

"Would that hurt the boys?" Lucius demanded with a worried glance at Narcissa who was trying to comfort Draco.

"Not at all," Cassiopeia said with a haughty sniff. "Rather it allows them to speak to us—to tell us what they're thinking. Doctors use it when small children get ill and are unable to describe all their symptoms. We'll be able to speak to the True Heart of Draco and Harry."

"Anything," Lily said feelingly as Harry screamed in her arms. Narcissa nodded in agreement.

It took Cassiopeia and Severus some time to make the necessary preparations for the True Heart Spell. Remus and Lucius took turns pacing in the drawing room and Peter tried to stay out of everyone's way.

"Are you sure you didn't hear anything about this?" Severus asked him at one point.

Lucius stopped pacing and looked at Severus. "I swear to you, Severus, I heard nothing of either your Dorcas or the Lupin girl."

"Should we try and get ahold of James and Sirius?" Lily asked worriedly.

Almost as though that were some sort of cue Draco and Harry started screaming even louder. Remus was on his feet almost instantly and he looked toward Lucius.

"I'll show you to the Floo," Lucius muttered.

Remus nodded. "Thank you."

/

Auror shifts were a pain in the ass at the best of times, but James and Sirius were currently on overnight shifts and hating life in general. The last time they'd managed to spend any time with Hermione they'd both fallen asleep on her, but she didn't get angry or pissy about it and they loved her for that. In fact, if the stories the other Aurors told were even halfway truthful then Hermione was the best girlfriend in the world. She never threw tantrums about the long hours and training they had to put in—she never complained that they didn't spend enough time with her. Whenever they were able to show up, usually exhausted and slightly cranky, she'd just smile and cuddle right up to them.

One of the things that James and Sirius had figured out rather quickly was that both of them were bisexual. As much as Sirius loved James and his cock—there was still something missing. For years Sirius had assumed that all he was missing were girls and girl bits, and sleeping with random girls had seemed to dull the sharp edges of his need. James had expressed a similar viewpoint. They had had one another and Sirius had thought that perhaps he was only capable of loving James—perhaps he wasn't capable of loving a girl. Then their missing piece had shown up at Hogwarts and Sirius had realized that he and James were part of a triad. He should have known; Merlin knew that in the family journals there were scores of relatives talking about symptoms and feelings that mirrored his almost exactly. Hermione fit perfectly with them; the first time Sirius had kissed her he had known that she would be important to both him and James.

"Stop thinking about Hermione and pay attention," James muttered at him in the darkness.

Sirius blinked in surprise. _How did James always know?_

"Sirius? Come on," James hissed impatiently.

"Right, sorry," Sirius replied hoping that James couldn't see his blush in the darkness.

The raid went off without a single hitch, which is why the leader of their mission was so surprised when James and Sirius both fell over as if struck by some sort of spell. Standard operating procedure was to provide emergency transport to St. Mungo's and the team leader made sure that this was done. The healers on staff were utterly confused by both men's conditions as they could determine no external cause such as a curse or trap. Mr. and Mrs. Potter were called in and apprised of the situation, which was where Remus found everyone at a little after three in the morning.

"Merlin's beard, what's happened to Sirius and James!" Remus exclaimed.

The healer looked up from his paperwork and frowned at Remus. "We aren't sure they both fell ill just after midnight."

"Wait, just after midnight?" Remus asked grabbing the healer's arm in his excitement.

"Yes, they were in the middle of a raid," the healer murmured as he looked through his notes to check his information.

"My sister is their third and she went missing. We think something's happened to her, but we don't know what," Remus spoke quickly in his haste.

The healer's eyes widened in shock.

"Hermione?" James mumbled and struggled to sit up.

"James, sweetheart, please don't move," Mrs. Potter begged.

"Why didn't you tell me that they were part of a triad?" The healer demanded furiously of the Potters.

Dorea snorted and tossed her head arrogantly. "Their color was _gold_. That's not listed in any of the books. Obviously the girl was trying to hitch her wagon to two very prestigious houses."

"Gold isn't listed in any of the books because it's almost unheard of," the healer said in a tight, icy voice. "The complications that come with a Heart, Body, and Soul Bond are so severe that we try to avoid idiotic teenagers pretending that they've got it."

Dorea Potter's face paled and she seemed horrified. "They _are_ a triad?"

The healer shot Dorea a look of disgust. "The rarest possible sort of triad. Granted, triads in and of themselves don't happen every day. One of my supervisors thinks it's because…well… that's not really important at the moment is it? Regardless, we need to be careful so that we can make sure that James and Sirius survive their third's absence."

"Survive?" Remus' voice rose in fear.

"Yes," the healer frowned as he turned to look at Sirius and James. "They're connected to their third's condition, which does not bode well for her. They appear to be reacting to some sort of soporific. I only hope to Merlin it isn't some kind of slow-acting poison. If it is… you'd better find her and get her in her as soon as possible."

"We live in Paris," Remus said with a helpless gesture. "Shouldn't we just take her to St. Denis?"

"No, the three of them need to be together to heal properly. Trust me, she needs to be here," the healer said sternly.

"Right," Remus mumbled. He turned to the Potters. "Uh, look, we've got a plan to try and find them before it's too late."

"Them?" Charlus asked in hoarse voice.

"Hermione and Dorcas Meadows are both missing," Remus explained.

"You go do what you need to do, Remus," Charlus said in that same hoarse voice that sounded as though he were trying not to cry. "If you need _anything_, anything at all, come to me and I'll make it happen."

"Yes sir," Remus said and he turned and hurried from the room.

/

"They're a _gold triad_?" Cassiopeia Black seemed to be suffering from conflicting emotions. On the one hand she appeared to be utterly horrified because the current ramifications of Hermione's uncertain condition didn't bode well for any of the triad's members, but on the other hand she was almost radiating smugness on Sirius' behalf.

"The True Heart Spell is ready," Severus announced in clipped, measured tones.

Everyone except Severus seemed to breathe a tiny sigh of relief. He looked like hell and his dark eyes were pained. The spell was administered quickly and all of them watched the two babies with anxious expressions. Lily and Narcissa were clutching one another's hands and biting their lower lips worriedly. Draco and Harry appeared to fall asleep and Lucius, Remus, Narcissa and Lily exchanged nervous glances. Cassiopeia and Severus exuded a sort of impatient patience—they were anxious to see the spell unfold, but they weren't concerned about this piece were the boys fell asleep.

The adults were watching with careful intensity so they all heard Narcissa's gasp of surprise when two amorphous shapes appeared, one on either side of the babies. The shapes seemed to solidify until two young men were standing in the drawing room; the young men were rather insubstantial and somewhat see-through, but they seemed to be adult versions of themselves. Draco's blond hair was much shorter than his father's, but he was an inch or two taller. Harry's sandy hair was longer than Remus' and it kept falling into his face hiding his emerald green eyes so that Harry had to flip his hair out of the way with a practiced air. The boys glanced at one another and then at their parents.

"Hermione's in trouble," Harry said without preamble. "It feels like she's been poisoned."

"It's slow-acting, but it's already been going through her system for four or five hours," Draco added anxiously.

"What about Dorcas?" Severus demanded.

His jaw was clenched and the boys could see the stiff way he held himself. Draco and Harry glanced at one another and then looked sympathetically at Severus.

"I'm sorry Uncle Sev," Draco said apologetically. He glanced at Harry again and then turned back to Severus. "We're only connected to Hermione so I can only tell you how she's doing. Dorcas may very well have been poisoned too."

"Can you tell where they are?" Severus demanded his hands fisting at his sides.

Draco tilted his head slightly as though he were listening to something. "Somewhere safe. Hermione thinks she's somewhere safe."

A sound escaped Severus' lips and Lucius turned toward him. "Your safe house?" Lucius asked quietly.

"It's worth checking, sir," Harry encouraged. "I—she hasn't got much time left."

"The spell has almost run its course," Cassiopeia reminded Severus.

He nodded distractedly. "Yes. Lucius? Please come with me?"

"Of course," Lucius said and clapped a hand on Severus' shoulder. "If there are two girls you'll need help."

As soon as the two men left Cassiopeia turned back to the insubstantial representations of Harry and Draco curiously. "How are you two connected to Hermione? You aren't… it's not a quintet is it?"

"Ew!" Harry looked vaguely ill. "That's my aunt! And you know… gay here."

"_Gay_?" Lily and Remus asked at the same time.

Draco snorted in amusement. "Way to break it to your parents, Po-er, Lupin. Smooth. Really smooth."

"Oh shut up, Draco," Harry snapped irritably.

"It's fine!" Lily said in a loud voice and then glanced up at Remus. "It is, isn't it?"

Remus looked down at his mate with an amused expression. "Yes, love, it's fine."

Lily beamed at her son. "We love you so much already, Harry. I don't think anything will ever change that."

"What if I end up in Slytherin?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"That's not something you can determine with any accuracy," Cassiopeia said with a frown.

Harry glanced in her direction and made a small bow. "Perhaps you can't," he acknowledged. Then he turned back to his parents. "Still… what if?"

Lily sniffled slightly. "My best friend was a Slytherin and he is a wonderful man. If you are anything like him I shall be proud of you."

"Thanks mum," See-through Harry said with chuckle.

"As sweet as this is, it doesn't answer my question," Cassiopeia snapped.

"Hermione is… she's special," Harry said at last. He glanced at Draco who was nodding.

"There were repercussions caused by your parents' fear and Dumbledore's actions," Draco added in a voice so like Lucius when he was being coldly formal that Narcissa blinked in surprise at her son.

Harry glared at Draco and then gave a weak smile to his parents. "Let's just say that our connection to Hermione is a result of that. While we are infants we'll have a greater grasp of the significance, but that will fade once we reach about five years old and our long-term memory begins."

"I see," Remus murmured thoughtfully, his eyes on his son.

All of them gasped as the figures shifted and became amorphous again. Lily would swear to Remus later that Harry had given a small wave, but Remus would just chuckle and kiss the top of her head. The babies woke, but they were no longer screaming. They seemed satisfied that they had been able to express themselves fully.

"Fascinating," Cassiopeia murmured to herself.

/

Years later this night would remain burned into Severus' mind as the worst night of his entire life. Fear rode him from the moment Remus had appeared at Peter's house and it rose intermittently through the night threatening to choke him and render him utterly useless. Every time he closed his eyes he could see his beautiful Dorcas with her face cold and pale in death. He couldn't lose her now, not after everything that he and she had been through together. Severus' mum hadn't been able to leave him much, but he had a Prince heirloom that he had hoped to give her as soon as he was done with his mastery.

"Steady on, Severus," Lucius murmured and Severus nodded jerkily.

They approached the silent, dark safe house carefully disabling the built-in booby-traps that Severus had installed to protect Dorcas. Severus led the way into the small cottage and both men began searching. When they entered the living room Severus felt the floor tilt beneath him and he staggered for a moment. The girls were sprawled in graceless heap on the floor. Hermione lay supine with her face turned up to the ceiling. Severus scurried across the floor and pulled Dorcas' slumped form off of her friend; he cradled her carefully, but her head lolled to the sign her skin cold to the touch.

"Dorcas!" Had that tortured sound come from _him_? He could hear an awful, terrible keening noise and it took him several minutes to realize that he was the one making it.

"Severus, we've got to get her to St. Mungo's," Lucius broke into his grieving.

Severus paused in his rocking and blinked up at Lucius. "She's so cold, Lucius."

"Hermione still has a pulse, but it's very weak. What about Dorcas?" Lucius spoke in a quiet, calm voice, but there was a hint of command there that forced Severus to comply.

His breath caught in his throat when he felt the feeble, stuttering pulse in Dorcas' neck. "She's still with us," Severus replied raggedly and clutched Dorcas a little tighter.

St. Mungo's had never quite seen anything like the cool unflappable Lucius Malfoy striding through the halls carrying an unconscious witch in his arms followed closely by the dour Severus Snape clutching another witch to his chest. Lucius began to issue orders in his cold precise voice when people merely stood around and stared. Healers swarmed around them like angry wasps and relieved each wizard of his precious bundle. The murmurs didn't bode well and Severus caught several of the healers exchanging worried glances as they scanned each witch's vitals.

"Pulse is too weak."

"Need to stabilize them both."

"Think this one had the full dose… she doesn't look good."

"Maybe we should just focus on this one—pretty sure we can actually save her."

Severus felt awful for being grateful that they were indicating Dorcas, but when the healers all focused on his girlfriend trying to stabilize her he dared to hope that she would survive the night. Hermione looked too pale, too still. Normally she was so energetic, so full of life that Severus felt overwhelmed by her presence; she was a good match for Potter and Black because she wasn't buried underneath their egos and brash personalities. Severus realized that they'd decided that Hermione wasn't worth working on—they'd already decided that she was as good as dead—and his heart clenched a little at that.

"What's going on?" Dorea Potter demanded sharply.

"Why aren't they doing anything for Hermione?" Charlus asked.

Severus tried not to look guilty. "I don't—they think Hermione's pretty much gone."

"What?" Dorea shrieked her dark eyes wide. She turned to Charlus. "She can't! I haven't gotten to apologize yet, Charlus."

"I know sweetheart," Charlus said and patted her soothingly. "Let me just find someone."

Money moves mountains and Potter money was substantial enough to command the most talented healers in the country to work on saving Hermione. Dorea and Charlus watched tensely as the healers did the best they could to draw the poison out of her body and counteract its side effects. At one point Charlus thought they'd lost her—an idiot trainee had given her the wrong medication and she went into convulsions—but the healers managed to stabilize her. Dorea's finger clutched at his hand digging into his flesh and that was the only thing that kept him centered and focused.

"Mum, why are you crying?" James' voice was raspy and hoarse and he was frowning at his mother who was sitting in a chair next to his bed.

"Because I'm happy." Dorea hiccupped slightly and dabbed at her eyes.

"Where's Sirius?" James was slightly disoriented and he peered blearily around the room wishing he weren't quite as blind as he was.

"Right here." Sirius' rough voice sounded very close. "What the bloody hell happened anyway?"

"Hermione was poisoned and because you three are in a gold triad together it affected you two as well," Dorea explained in a strained voice. "We almost lost all three of you."

"Hermione was poisoned!" James and Sirius bellowed in unison.

"Wait! You can't get out of bed! James! James Potter, come back here! CHARLUS!" Dorea bellowed the last bit with the lungs of a field commander.

A healer hurried into the room. "Madam! You must remain calm, we have other patients… where did the two patients that were in here go?"

"They've gone to find their third, Hermione Lupin," Dorea explained.

"The Lupin girl is part of a triad?" The healer said in surprise. She frowned darkly. "Why didn't anyone bother to say that?"

"We did," Dorea protested.

"That changes everything," The healer muttered in an irritated voice.

/

The ceiling confused Dorcas for a while. Her room had been done in a beautiful dark green in a subtle bid to make Severus more comfortable enough to convince him to stay in it for as long as possible. She had always loved the gorgeous molded ceiling that had been there when she'd first moved in. The ceiling above her was _not _molded. She wondered if Hermione was playing a prank on her. Sometimes she and Marlene would do that sort of thing. They were never mean spirited about it—usually it was something funny or silly. Casting an illusion on Dorcas' ceiling and then waiting to see how long it took her to notice a difference sounded like a Hermione sort of prank. Dorcas slid her hand under her pillow and frowned. Her wand wasn't there. She moved to sit up and found that it was much harder than it ought to have been. She struggled to pull herself into a sitting position. That's when she noticed that Severus was slumped in a chair next to her bed.

"Severus?" Her voice was reedy and it came out whisper-soft, but Severus jerked as though she'd screamed his name.

He blinked slowly at her and she watched as he realized that she was awake. Love burned there brightly in his eyes and she found herself almost overwhelmed at the naked emotion shining there. She knew Severus loved her, but he was usually so quiet about it. If anyone looked at him right now they'd know exactly how he felt about her.

"Dorcas."

She flushed at the way he said her name—as though it were some sort of prayer.

"Merlin, Dorcas," Severus whispered. He paused and swallowed hard. "I thought I'd lost you."

"Never," Dorcas swore fiercely. "You have me for forever, Severus. You'll never get rid of me."

He laughed then and it sounded a little giddy. "They weren't so sure about that a couple of times."

"Wait, Severus… I only had a sip of that stuff," Dorcas cried and clutched at Severus' robes. "Is Hermione—she's not is she?"

"Hermione's… she still hasn't woken up," Severus whispered his fingers stroking her arms to soothe her.

"Does Mar know?" Dorcas asked her eyes wide. "She was coming back from her honeymoon—she won't know any of this has happened."

"Yeah." Severus swallowed again and blinked his eyes rapidly. "She came to check on you several times, but she's in Hermione's room right now."

"Are the boys okay?" Dorcas whispered.

Severus snorted. "Not really, no. Because they're a triad James and Sirius were, uh, poisoned through their link to her. We almost lost all three of them a few times. Some idiot tried to give Hermione hellebore."

"Hellebore! She's allergic to that!" Dorcas exclaimed.

"Yeah, they figured that bit out when she started having convulsions," Severus muttered drily. His fingers tightened on Dorcas'. "So James and Sirius are both on edge because she's still struggling to recover from the poisons' side effects. Both of you have been purged of the poison, but Hermione got a hefty dose of the stuff they think."

"It was… we went to that little bar just off of the street our house is on. You know the one, we go there all the time," Dorcas looked up at Severus with pleading eyes.

He nodded. "Yeah, that cozy little place that always keeps a bottle of Ogden's under the bar for Hermione? It was _there_?"

"Yeah. Funny... now that I think about it I don't think I recognized the bartender. Hermione was distracted because it was some guy's birthday," Dorcas said in a slow, disjointed voice.

"Your _drinks_ were poisoned? How did you not notice?" Severus demanded.

"It was just two shots. One for Hermione and one for me," Dorcas explained. "You know how Hermione is. She knocked hers straight back. I just took a sip and I knew something was wrong."

"Merlin's balls," Severus muttered. _What if Dorcas had just knocked back that shot_? He clutched her to him tightly and breathed through his mouth to avoid crying.

"Severus. Air. Please." Dorcas was gasping in his ear.

He let go of her quickly and flushed a dull red. "Sorry."

"It's fine love," Dorcas said with a little pat on his arm. "You should probably call the healers in. I'm sure they want to poke at me a bit."

"In a minute," he told her and took her back into his arms.

/

Wherever Hermione was it was floaty. She floated along for an indeterminate length of time and enjoyed the sensation. Being floaty was sort of fun. Then the strange feeling of weightlessness had gone away and Hermione was wracked with agonizing pain. That was distinctly less fun than being floaty. It hurt so badly at some points that she wished that she would just hurry up and _die_ because at least then she wouldn't be in pain anymore. Unfortunately, someone out there _really _didn't like her because the pain just went on and on.

Something was wrong. Hermione wasn't sure what, but something. After several confused minutes where she tried to determine what it was she realized that the pain was finally gone. Well, it wasn't agonizing anymore. It had turned into a dull ache that was at least manageable. Finally, she blinked slowly and opened her eyes. It was dark and Hermione couldn't help but feel a little disappointment at that.

If she was going to escape from wherever she was being held, she needed to figure out the best way to do that. Slowly but surely she stretched all of her muscles, which helped her determine that she was not being restrained in any way. She shifted carefully in her bed, and tried to sit up. That was a mistake. Her muscles trembled with the strain and she fell heavily onto her pillows. A pained whimper escaped her lips and she heard a rustle of fabric.

"Hermione?"

James' voice was sleep-slurred and he sounded a little groggy, but she'd never heard anything quite as lovely as the sound of his voice.

"She's still here, baby," Sirius' voice answered.

Hermione's heart did somersaults in her chest. She took it back. Sirius' and James' voices together made the sweetest music her ears had ever heard. She loved them both so much she ached with it. She sniffled slightly and she heard the fabric rustling again.

"Hermione?" James called again.

Hermione tried to answer him and found that her throat was so dry that the best she could do was whimper helplessly in reply. The lights were flipped on and she cringed and tried to hide her eyes.

"Thank Merlin!" Sirius swore fervently. "James, she's awake!"

Being squished between James and Sirius wasn't the most awful place in the world to be, but eventually it grew uncomfortable. She squirmed and both men froze and pulled back. The worry and fear on their faces made Hermione's heart clench.

"You're not in pain, are you?" James asked while he ran his hands over her carefully.

"No." Hermione's voice was hoarse.

"Make sure you tell us if you're in pain," Sirius begged her.

She nodded. "Of course."

They moved her around so that she was wedged between them in her hospital bed. Hermione glanced over and saw that they had a bed that they'd been sharing; she frowned at the bed and turned to look at James and Sirius.

"They didn't want us with you until you woke up. Just in case we accidentally hurt you or something," Sirius explained.

"That and I think it would be a lot harder to check on her if they had to go through us," James added with a pointed look at Sirius.

"It was just the one time," Sirius muttered with a sulky expression. "I had been asleep and I thought she was going to hurt you."

"That poor healer never knew what hit her," James snickered to Hermione.

"You should probably fetch the healer," Hermione said with a sigh after a good solid hour of cuddling and snuggling.

"Do we have to?" Sirius protested.

"I don't want to," Hermione assured him. "But the sooner they let me out of here, the sooner I'm in my own bed."

"Merlin, I _love_ the sound of that," James said feelingly.

"How long have I been here?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Six weeks," Sirius told her.

"_Six weeks_!" Hermione shrieked.

"Shh, love!" James waved a hand at her, but it was too late.

A healer poked his head into the room, realized Hermione was awake and called something down the hall. Within minutes the room was filled with healers and Sirius and James were separated from her. She was poked and prodded for _hours_ until she threw a temper tantrum. James had snuck out and called in his parents as reinforcements. Before Hermione could credit it, they were released from St. Mungo's and James and Sirius were whisking her off to her house.

James carried her all the way up the stairs and Sirius hurried in front of him opening all of the doors. They settled her carefully in the bed and then pulled back to look at her.

"Are you all right?" James asked. He kept trying to tuck her in with the comforter.

"Tired." Hermione's voice was getting slurred with sleep and her eyelids were fluttering.

"Listen, I'm going to go make sure Dorcas knows we're here so that she doesn't panic and Severus doesn't accidentally kill one of us," Sirius said in a soft, gentle voice.

"Come back?" Hermione's eyes were closed and her hand was flung out toward them.

"Of course," Sirius replied and he leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. He glanced at James. "Stay with her?"

"Always," James murmured.

Sirius nodded and then kissed James on the forehead as well. "I'll be right back. Don't hog all the pillows."


	16. The Savage Bull Doth Bear the Yoke

_A/N: Please note that all names for the Black Family can be found on the Black Family Tree. If and when I introduce any new Blacks i.e. offspring I will follow the Black Family's naming customs. Sorry, Regulus and Marlene won't be having any kids name Brittney, MacKenzie, or Kaydense. [I may have flirted briefly with the idea of Rebecca Black, but then I sobered up.]_

_ATTENTION: I try to flesh out characters. I don't believe in two-dimensional characters that are "good" or "evil". People have reasons and motives for everything that they do. I find it interesting to think about 'why' a character might behave a certain way. What happened in that character's past to make them behave the way they do? I would like to say here and now that I never try to "bash" characters (except Dolohov. I've never forgiven him for that whole Ministry of Magic incident). Rather I expect characters to be human and to have flaws. _

\O/

_February 23, 1981_

"It's been months and we still don't know why anyone would want to poison Dorcas or Hermione," Marlene said with a worried glance at Regulus.

"Isn't it obvious?" Arcturus Black drawled and made a languid wave of his hand.

"Not really Grandfather," Marlene replied with a saucy little smirk.

Arcturus smiled fondly at Marlene who was curled up on a small settee with Regulus who was gently stroking her swollen belly.

"Triads are immensely powerful. Whoever it was is probably threatened by the Ancient and Noble House of Black having access to that kind of power," Arcturus explained.

The other Blacks sitting in the room nodded sagely. Arcturus' wife Melania was sitting next to Sirius and smirking smugly.

"But what about Dorcas?" Marlene pressed.

"She was in the wrong place at the wrong time," Pollux said with a shrug.

The Blacks were not overly concerned with anyone who wasn't family and their natural arrogance made them dismissive of anyone who did not matter to them. Dorcas Meadows was a nice pureblood girl, but she wasn't _family_. Hermione was already considered a member of the Black family as was James. At first Hermione had been mightily confused because even though Lupin was an old, respected family she was still technically a half-blood. Sirius and Regulus had explained that it had everything to do with the fact that she was part of a gold triad. The Blacks were as arrogant as the day was long, but they appreciated power and they knew that any children of a gold triad would be immensely powerful. The hints to marry and produce powerful little witches and wizards for the House of Black had not been subtle.

"Collateral damage," Hermione said flatly.

"Just so," Arcturus agreed.

"But why Hermione?" Sirius demanded his fingers seeking hers.

James was sitting on her other side and his fingers were already twined with hers.

"She is perceived as the weakest link I imagine," Cygnus Black mused aloud. "James and Sirius have the protection of their Houses, but Hermione is left relatively unprotected."

"That makes sense," Hermione murmured and then smiled weakly at the dark glares she received from James and Sirius.

"You are not weak," James huffed, an indignant expression on his face.

Hermione smiled gently at him and patted him on the knee. "Cygnus didn't call me weak," she pointed out. "He said that they perceive me as weak. There's a substantial difference between the two James dear."

"To keep Hermione safe we need to bring her under the Black family protections," Pollux stated with a significant look toward Arcturus who was nodding agreement.

Sirius snorted. "You think I haven't tried Grandfather?"

"See here, girl, what's so awful about my son?" Orion Black demanded sharply.

"You should be _grateful_ for the opportunity to marry into the Ancient and Noble House of Black," Walburga Black sniffed. She looked down her nose at Hermione and Sirius bristled next to her.

Regulus sighed. "Mother," he said gently.

Walburga sniffed again and made a show of arranging her voluminous robes. Hermione fought valiantly against rolling her eyes at her future mother-in-law, but she noticed in her peripheral vision that Cassiopeia was rolling her eyes and bit her lips to keep from grinning inappropriately.

"There is nothing awful about Sirius," Hermione informed Orion in a cool, prim little voice.

"Then why are you refusing to marry the boy?" Orion asked with a pointed glance.

Hermione made a helpless gesture. "I—"

"It's my mother's fault," James interrupted in a low, defeated voice.

Despite the fact that it had been over six months since her poisoning, Hermione's relationship with Dorea Potter was still painfully strained, but much of that was because James and Sirius were having a difficult time forgiving her. James and Sirius both felt betrayed by Dorea's original reaction to their relationship with Hermione and they were still punishing her for it. Hermione didn't think that was fair or right and there had been several fights between the three of them about that very subject. Hermione's spine stiffened and she turned to frown at James.

"That's not true James," Hermione contradicted him.

"It is, though," James protested. "You refuse to marry us."

"When did you ask me?" Hermione seemed completely bewildered. Her eyes darted from Sirius to James her confusion evident.

"Well—" James began and then paused to turn and look at Sirius who was frowning.

"You mean you would have said yes?" Sirius asked quietly.

"Yes," Hermione replied in a soft voice a flush rising in her cheeks. "I knew that part of being with the two of you would mean marriage—I've known that since school, Sirius. You're both scions of pureblood Houses with responsibilities to those Houses. I just thought you were waiting until I received my mastery this summer."

"Oh." James appeared stunned.

"So we can plan for the wedding to take place this summer then?" Melania looked expectantly at the triad.

"I—" Sirius began only to be interrupted by his grandmother Irma Black, his grandfather Pollux's wife.

"I think that they should be married at Chateau Delenoir in France," Irma said with a glint in her eye.

Walburga and Cygnus nodded in agreement with their mother.

"And just what is wrong with Czerny Castle," Melania demanded tartly.

Arcturus was frowning his agreement with his wife and Orion looked irritated to be placed in such an untenable position.

"What about Ellidgefield?" Hermione asked glancing cautiously between the different groups.

"Ellidgefield?" Melania echoed in surprise. She blinked for a moment and then turned to Arcturus. "Husband?"

"You want to get married at the ancestral Black family home?" Arcturus seemed inordinately pleased both at the suggestion and that Hermione was so well-informed.

"That would seem to be the best choice," Hermione said with an austere dignity that earned her approving glances from Melania, Cassiopeia and Irma. Even Walburga managed a tight little nod agreeing with Hermione's words.

"That would leave the wedding date," Pollux pointed out with a significant glance at Arcturus.

"Blacks marry in May," Hermione said firmly. She could feel the surprised glances from the assembled Blacks. "It can be either this May or next May."

"It must be as soon as possible," Pollux retorted.

"This May," Arcturus announced in a loud voice as he cast a sweeping glance over the assembled Black family who all made the appropriate noises and nodded their agreement.

Sirius and James sat on either side of Hermione in a state of shock. They had always planned on marrying Hermione—they had never even conceived any other option. Both men had assumed that it would take some sort of major assault involving all of their friends and possibly some type of bondage to get Hermione to sit still long enough to listen to them. When they had been informed that a family meeting was called and that their attendance was not optional Sirius had never expected that his grandfathers would be planning out his wedding. Technically, he'd never even asked her—they hadn't gotten the chance. Sirius glanced at James. Was he going to be upset? His family was ignoring the fact that one-third of their triad was a Potter and they had family traditions as well.

"It might be prudent if you allowed Sirius and me to approach Hermione with an offer." James' tone was dry and he shot a cool, arrogant glance to Arcturus and Pollux.

Silently, Sirius applauded his lover. Blacks appreciated wizards who knew their worth and James' attitude would not irritate them—it would make them respect him more.

"Very well, but we shall begin planning the wedding immediately," Melania informed her future grandson-in-law. She paused and frowned slightly. "How is Dorea?"

"Yes, has she pulled her head out of her ass yet?" Cassiopeia asked acidly.

Hermione made a choked noise and James glanced worriedly at her. She was gave him a slightly pained smile. James noticed that Sirius was smirking at his Aunt Cassiopeia. He wasn't exactly happy with his mother—he hadn't been happy with her for a long time—but that didn't mean that he was going to sit around and let the damn _Black family_ pick on her.

"Mother is fine," James said in clipped, measured tones. "I shall speak to Father as soon as possible and apprise him of the situation."

"Charlus is an intelligent man," Orion observed.

The implication that his father's intelligence was contrasted with his mother's was not lost on James who pressed his lips together tightly.

\O/ \o/ \O/

_March 15, 1981_

"Soon you'll be bringing little Whosit along to these play dates," Lily said with satisfaction. She sat curled into a chair watching Harry and Draco sit on the floor and babble at one another.

Marlene snorted and Narcissa smiled indulgently at her son.

"You'll have the first Black of the next generation," Narcissa intoned with a solemn air.

That just made Marlene snicker and Hermione ended up with a coughing fit. Narcissa shrugged and waved a hand at Hermione.

"You'll be next. You know why Blacks marry in May?" Narcissa pointed out.

"They're arrogant bastards?" Hermione shot back.

Narcissa smirked. "There is that," she agreed. "No, for the fertility rites. They'll do an invocation and have James and Sirius take you right there on the altar. I imagine they'll have James be the Oak King and Sirius be the Holly King."

"What?" Lily looked pale and slightly shocked. "The… the both of them? At the same time?"

"Lily, not to be rude, but what do you suppose occurs in my bedroom?" Hermione asked Lily with a quirked eyebrow.

Marlene dissolved into another fit of giggles.

"I try not to think about it," Lily said stiffly.

"Lucretia Black, she married Ignatius Prewett you know, she gave birth nine months to the day," Narcissa said with a solemn nod.

"Really?" Marlene asked in surprise.

"Of course, their niece married a Weasley," Narcissa's face had become pinched and she appeared vaguely ill.

"What's wrong with the Weasleys?" Hermione asked in a tight voice.

Marlene glanced at Narcissa and then leaned toward Hermione. "Sirius Black."

"My Sirius?" Hermione was confused.

Marlene shook her head. "No, of course not. There's been a feud forever. No, the _first _Sirius Black. Phineas Nigellus' older brother."

"Oh," Hermione said. She paused and frowned trying to picture the Black Family tree in her head. "He died when he was nine years old, right?"

"Yes," Narcissa said and there was a coldness to her voice and her body language that spoke volumes.

Marlene glanced at Narcissa again and then turned to Hermione. "Sirius Black was friends with the youngest Weasley boy, Flavius. They were practicing wandless magic in a field near Sirius' home. A group of Muggles stumbled across them and… they started beating Sirius…," Marlene's voice broke and she sat there silently.

The prejudice of the wizarding world had hit Hermione in a number of ways over her life, but she had usually judged the wizarding world harshly for its antiquated views. She had read, ad nauseum it seemed at times, about the injustices perpetrated against wizards, but she had always blown those off. A grown wizard with a wand in his hand could definitely hold his own—even against a mob of enraged Muggles. Wendelin the Weird was a case in point. However, the idea of adults beating a little boy to death for being different made her sick to her stomach. An image of a little boy, a young Sirius with long, tangled curls and grey eyes wide and frightened filled her mind.

"They blamed Flavius? Why?" Lily asked carefully. "I mean, he didn't tell the Muggles where Sirius would be… did he?"

"If he had run to the Blacks they probably would have been able to save Sirius," Narcissa replied. "If the whole family pooled their magic they could have healed him of anything short of mortal wounds. But Flavius ran to his own home and told no one of what had happened. Phineas Nigellus found his brother when his mother sent him to look for him. Phineas was only six years old and finding his brother's body stayed with him for the rest of his life."

"Is that why he disowned his son Phineas for supporting Muggle rights?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Narcissa replied with a brief dip of her head. "Phineas Nigellus saw it as a betrayal of his beloved elder brother. He perceived his son's actions as siding with his brother's murderers."

"And when his granddaughter Cedrella dared to marry a Weasley—they were the Romeo and Juliet of their generation," Marlene added.

"Oh heavens, yes," Narcissa agreed with a roll of her eyes. "So many thought that their story was unbelievably romantic, but my family perceived it as the basest betrayal of blood. They actually Repudiated Cedrella. The entire family took part."

"Oh, crap," Hermione breathed with wide eyes. She blinked and bit her lip. "Is that why… does Lucius have any other reason to dislike the Weasleys?"

"I will say that Lucius has never been overly fond of Arthur Weasley because he felt that Weasley was a self-righteous prat. I can't really say if that is true or not. However, once Lucius heard the truth about the first Sirius Black he was disgusted with Arthur Weasley's pro-Muggle rhetoric," Narcissa explained. "He felt it was a further betrayal of the wizarding world and an unrepentance on the Weasley family's part for past crimes."

"But Arthur Weasley has nothing to do with Flavius… does he?" Lily appeared to be confused and worried that she might offend Narcissa.

"Family is a peculiar thing in the wizarding world," Narcissa said and then paused.

Marlene sighed and shrugged helplessly. "Magic is in our blood and when that blood is shared as it is in a magical family, then certain things hold a greater significance than they would in the Muggle world. Oaths given on behalf of a family bind all its members—even future generations. Flavius and Sirius had been quite close and played together on a regular basis."

"He was a scared little boy—he probably wasn't thinking clearly," Lily pointed out.

"From our family records Nigellus and Liriella, Sirius' parents, didn't blame Flavius at all," Narcissa said flatly. "It was his little brother Phineas Nigellus that began a personal war against the Weasleys, but because he was the Head of House Black his word carried a lot of weight. His son Phineas rebelled and was disowned."

"What a mess," Lily said at last.

Hermione gave a bitter little snort. "Aren't most families? For the sake of argument, let's say that you and Remus and I were all killed. What would happen to Harry?"

"Sirius and James would take him in… wouldn't they?" Lily seemed hesitant and unsure.

"Lily, if Hermione dies then James and Sirius probably won't survive losing their third," Marlene explained.

"He'd… oh god," Lily murmured. She had turned pale and slightly green.

"Exactly. Now imagine what kind of person he would be if he grew up _there_," Hermione said in a flat, cold voice.

Lily appeared as though she might be ill. "I'd rather not," she whispered.

\O/ \o/ \O/

"So let me get this straight… you're going to take _Dorcas_' name?" Regulus stared at Severus in shock.

"The Meadows family is a fine old pureblood family," Severus said stiffly. "Dorcas is their only child. It would be a shame to let them die out."

"But… what about _your_ family's name?" Regulus asked.

Severus snorted with dark amusement. "My mother was disowned for marrying a Muggle, so I can't claim Prince," Severus explained with a dull flush of embarrassment rising in his cheeks. "And I want nothing to do with my _father_."

There wasn't much that Regulus could say to that so he stayed silent. He knew that talking about this was embarrassing to Severus who was a private sort of wizard, but he also knew that the Muggle who was Severus' father had been a hard, bitter man who hated magic. Regulus had seen the white scars on Severus' back and the backs of his thighs and he could understand Severus' feelings.

"So Severus Meadows?" Regulus was trying to extend an olive branch and smooth Severus' ruffled feathers.

Severus shrugged. "Will that be a problem for you?" Severus asked.

"Nope." Regulus quietly poured two tumblers of Ogden's and shoved one towards Severus.

A swift flick and an elegant swish and the tumblers glowed briefly. Regulus raised an eyebrow and just looked at Severus who shrugged.

"One can never be too careful," Severus muttered.

Regulus snorted. "You let Dorcas out of your sight yet?"

"No, no he hasn't," Dorcas answered for her fiancé as she entered the room. She leaned down and kissed Severus' temple. "But I forgive him. Merlin knows that if it had been him I wouldn't allow him to take a piss by himself."

"I don't doubt it, Dorcas," Regulus drawled and took a sip of his Ogden's.

"How's Marlene?" Dorcas asked cheerfully.

Regulus rolled his eyes. "Driving me spare. The worst bit is that my mother and my grandmothers are egging her on."

"_Walburga_ _Black_ is taking Marlene's side?" Dorcas blinked with wide eyes and stared at Regulus.

He shrugged. "Marlene's carrying the first Black of the next generation… my family takes that very seriously. You just wait until Hermione's pregnant. Merlin, they'll be insufferable."

"Your aunt Cassiopeia's the worst. She's convinced that Sirius is going to father the next Merlin." Dorcas huffed adorably and sat herself down in Severus' lap.

Severus' arms tightened about her and he absently kissed the top of her head. Regulus smiled fondly at his friends.

"When will you two be getting married?" Regulus asked curiously.

"We should both receive our masteries some time during the summer," Severus explained. "Dorcas' parents agree that our masteries should come first."

"I think Mother just wants more time to plan," Dorcas offered as she wound her arms around Severus' neck.

"Mothers do love to have time to plan," Regulus agreed with a small smile. "Merlin knows that my Mother's favorite thing to complain about is that she has no time to plan Sirius' wedding. Grandmother Melania told her to shut up because she's got all of the Black women helping her."

Dorcas bit her lip and glanced at Severus. When she spoke her voice was soft and hesitant as though she were afraid of giving offence. "What about the Potters?"

Regulus sighed and rubbed a hand over the back of his neck. "I love my brother, but he has certain idiosyncrasies that drive me crazy. Dorea hurt Hermione, and Sirius will _never_ forgive her for that. Hermione knows that this estrangement bothers James, but the boys refuse to reconcile. James, Merlin I'm not sure what he's doing. I think…," Regulus paused for a moment and tried to collect his thoughts. "I think that James thinks that if he does forgive his parents then somehow he loves Hermione less than Sirius does."

"That's ridiculous," Dorcas protested.

"I know that," Regulus snapped. Then he relaxed and gave Dorcas an apologetic smile. "We Blacks—we're crazy. We know it… hell we're _proud _of it for the most part. It's just that when it comes to what's _ours_ we never think clearly. James gets that and what's worse he thinks there's something wrong with him for not feeling exactly as Sirius does. There's a bit too much Potter in him, but I think that's a good thing because he needs to balance Sirius out."

"Hermione will most likely prevail," Severus observed drily.

Regulus snorted. "You are probably right, Severus. James and Sirius want her to be happy so I'm sure they'll give in to her at some point."

"It's amazing that they haven't given in to her yet," Dorcas stated. "Usually they give her whatever she wants whenever she wants it, not that she takes advantage of that. Sometimes I think Hermione is obliviously clueless when it comes to James and Sirius."

"In the past I wasn't really close enough to comment, but now I would agree," Regulus said after a brief moment. "She can't figure out why my mother is being kind to her. Now if Hermione were just some Muggle girl or a muggleborn that Sirius had dragged home… hell even if she were just herself, a half-blood from a smaller family, and Sirius had tried to bring her home Mother would have come unglued. We'd be able to hear the screaming from here and she would have tried to disown Sirius."

"Why isn't she then?" Severus asked.

"Hermione's already received the approval of the Head of our House, and Arcturus has a far more pragmatic view of things than Mother. In addition, it _is_ a gold triad. Mother isn't stupid enough to turn her back on that kind of power. As scary as this is to say, it is entirely possible that Hermione might give birth to the next Merlin," Regulus explained.

"Or Morgana," added Dorcas with a pointed little look. Hermione had rubbed off on her after close association after a number of years, and Dorcas had decided that this was probably a good thing.

"Or Morgana," Regulus agreed with a little smile.

"What?" Severus watched his friend curiously.

"Family legend likes to claim that Ywain was a Black," Regulus explained with a little shrug.

Severus choked on his Ogden's. "_Ywain_! The knight of the lion! The son of Morgana? _That _Ywain?"

Regulus' little smile turned into a smirk. "You're familiar with my family's heraldic crest are you not, Severus? Did you never wonder about the little ravens depicted on it?"

"The ravens?" Dorcas asks and looks at Severus who has gone stiff and still beneath her.

"They are from the _Dream of Rhonabwy_?" Severus asks slowly with a slightly stunned expression.

Regulus shrugged carelessly. "It's family legend. There's no way to determine the truth, but it's something that people like my mother love to go on about."

"Merlin's staff," Severus muttered under his breath.

\O/ \o/ \O/

Thursdays had become the least popular day of the week for Hermione because that was the day they attended dinner with the Potters. Dorea was trying—Hermione gave her credit there—and it hurt to watch James and Sirius shut her down every single time. She could see that the strained relationship with his parents bothered James whether he wanted to admit it or not. And Sirius… Merlin's balls that man was driving her positively 'round the twist. Dorea Potter had always been a positive influence in his life. He had been more of a mother to Sirius than Walburga ever had done. Sirius _couldn't_ forgive Dorea and it was killing him inside.

"What if your parents died tonight?" Hermione demanded on Wednesday night, her hands fisted on her hips.

"Excuse me?" James blinked at her in confusion.

"Honestly, James, it could happen. Voldemort hasn't been neutralized yet," Hermione pointed out with a ruthless expression in her cinnamon brown eyes.

"Hermione, is this something that Moody told you?" Sirius asked with a frown and a significant glance toward James.

"No, of course not. This is strictly hypothetical. I just want the both of you to realize that James' parents won't live forever. What happens when we have children? Do we tell them that they don't have grandparents? Mine are dead, Sirius thinks his are evil and that leaves yours James," Hermione yelled and waved her hands wildly.

"So, my parents are being targeted by Voldemort?" James demanded fiercely his face pale and his hazel eyes wide.

"No! Damn it James _listen_ to me," Hermione pleaded her fingers clutched in his Auror robes. "We're to be married in a matter of weeks. I'd like your parents to be there. The fertility rites almost guarantee that I'll be preggers immediately. I want my kids to have grandparents and I'd like them to be semi-sane."

"My dad's not all that bad," Sirius muttered.

Hermione glared at him and Sirius flushed.

"Right," he muttered and turned to James. "Yeah, love, my whole family's stark raving mad. You don't want to inflict that your kids, do you? Think of little James junior."

Hermione glared at Sirius some more. "You're not helping," she hissed. Then she turned back to James. "Or Jamesina."

"Jamesina? Really?" Sirius scoffed and turned to James. "Do not let her name our kids. Please?"

"Sirius Orion Black," Hermione snapped a muscle ticking in her jaw. "Now is not the time to live up to your initials."

"Hey!" Sirius protested.

Hermione ignored him and focused on James. "Jemmie please," she begged shamelessly.

James grinned at her. "You called me Jemmie," he murmured with a soft, goofy smile.

"Please."

Hermione's cinnamon eyes were wide and James could almost count the gold flecks that glinted in the depths of them; what kind of cold-hearted bastard could deny those eyes anything? The thought of babies with those eyes and Sirius' face made him want to melt into a puddle of happy goo. The thought of babies with those eyes and his messy black hair also did things to him, but those things weren't conducive to formal dinner with his parents.

All of this came down to James' parents. They had hurt Hermione, and if they had been anyone else he would have completely cut them out of his life without ever looking back. He had agreed to these dinners to appease Hermione, but he straddled a fine line between making Hermione happy and making Sirius happy. He turned to Sirius and quirked a brow.

Sirius was frowning at Hermione. "That isn't fair," he muttered.

"I don't care," Hermione replied and then turned back to James. "I just want you to mend things with your parents. Sirius, Dorea's been as much a mother to you as your own mother if not more so. This has to be painful for you as well."

"Yeah," Sirius agreed with a small frown.

"Marriage," Hermione said firmly. "It's what you two have wanted for years. I'm even getting married before my mastery is done, which has taken some fancy juggling on my part just so you know. The Master overseeing my work has agreed to give me some time off and has allowed me an extension. In case you two weren't aware, that's a fairly large concession for a British witch in the Enchantment mastery program. The Enchanter's Guild isn't all that fond of us you know."

"We know," James admitted. He stroked her back through the layers of her protective enchanter's robes and looked at Sirius who was pouting.

"Do we have to?" Sirius whinged.

Hermione and James both winced.

"It would make me happy." Hermione replied.

James and Sirius sighed heavily.

"Fine," they said in unison.

Hermione beamed at the both of them and they considered the dinner they were to attend the next night worth it.

The next night Dorea and Charlus eyed Sirius and James warily as they sat at the formal dining table attempting to engage the elder Potters in polite conversation. James and Sirius regaled everyone with tales of their more unusual adventures in Auror training and begged Hermione to retell a couple amusing anecdotes from her mastery training. Dorea and Charlus kept shooting significant looks at one another and Hermione noticed Charlus' wand hand twitch more than once. Hermione sighed.

"We're getting married at Ellidgefield in May," Hermione said during a lull in conversation.

Dorea's eyes grew wide. "At Ellidgefield?"

"Yes, Arcturus and Pollux seem very excited," Hermione informed her.

"They're pushing for the full invocation?" Dorea guessed.

Hermione gave a small nod. "It seemed best considering."

"Yes I imagine it did," Dorea agreed in a small voice.

Charlus frowned at his wife. "What am I missing?"

"You remember Ellidgefield, dear," Dorea reminded her husband.

Charlus sat still for several minutes and then he snorted. "The grand and glorious first hall of the Black family that I'm far, far too ignoble to even dream of stepping foot in within my lifetime?"

"Yes." Dorea gave him a slightly sad smile. "Arcturus is allowing them to be married there with full Black family rites."

"Ah." Charlus looked down the table at his son. "This is why you're trying to reconcile? You want us to attend?"

Dorea looked at her son and then her gaze turned to Hermione. "_You_ want us to attend… and _they_ want you to be happy."

Hermione smiled weakly. "The rites make it almost a sure thing that you'll be a grandmother next spring."

_A grandchild_. Dorea blinked and then she beamed fatuously at Hermione. "That's true isn't it," she said in a soft, dreamy voice.

"Yeah, little Jamesina," Sirius piped up from his place.

Dorea wrinkled her nose. "James really… Hermione don't let him do that to my grandchild."

"Of course not Dorea," Hermione agreed calmly.

Sirius and James chose to eat their dinner and not say a word.


	17. The Star to Every Wandering Bark

_April 30, 1981_ _ Ellidgefield_

"Peter, if you don't take that away I'm going to throttle you," Sirius growled irritably.

Peter blinked his watery eyes and looked to Severus for an explanation.

"The food, Pettigrew," Severus explained waving his hand at the sandwich in Peter's hand. "The groom, well grooms, have to fast for two days. They're purging their bodies of all impurities. Personally, I think that will take a great deal longer than forty-eight hours, but what do I know?"

"Oh stuff it, Meadows," James snarked from his chair.

"He isn't Meadows yet. That won't be until August," Peter reminded them.

James shrugged and scowled at the rest of the people in the room who were allowed to eat food — the rotters. "I've got to get practice in somehow don't I? Can't embarrass Sevikins on his wedding day, can I?"

Severus groaned. Trust Potter and Black to have overheard Dorcas the _one time_ she called him that. She'd been teasing him, but Potter and Black had been positively gleeful. It had been disgusting how much joy they had taken from calling him 'Sevikins'. Really the two of them needed a hobby. He rather wished that Dorcas had let him purchase that gobstone set for their wedding present, but she'd insisted on a nice little vase meant to hold Floo powder. Perhaps for Christmas he could get them both knitting kits? Or maybe a voucher for knitting lessons? Something that would keep them occupied and out of his hair anyway. Perhaps he could slip Hermione a fertility potion? That would keep them occupied. He wondered how Hermione would feel about having her own Quidditch team.

"James," Remus said quietly and James began to pout. "The both of you need to stop. This will all be over with by tomorrow. You won't even care once they do the invocation. Hermione's doing quite well with the fasting from what I understand."

"That's because wherever she was the food wasn't all that regular," Peter commented off-handedly.

James, Sirius, and Remus turned to stare at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" Sirius demanded.

Peter blinked. "Sh-she said that… when she was on the run it was hard to find food to eat. They didn't want to attract attention."

"And she told _you _that?" Remus asked in hoarse voice his hands balled into fists.

"We're friends. We talk," Peter muttered.

"I'm her brother," Remus growled. Sirius and James each put a hand on him and he focused on calming down.

"Well, I mean, it's not like Greyback's still a threat… is he?" Peter looked uncomfortable and embarrassed. "He hasn't tried anything the whole time that Hermione's been here in France."

"We still don't know who poisoned her," James admitted.

"If they were trying to poison her," Severus pointed out.

Sirius, Remus and James all frowned at Severus. "Is there something you need to share with the class, _Sevikins_?" Remus asked in a cold voice.

"It's just… Dorcas took a tiny sip and it knocked her out. It acted as a soporific, but it didn't do much else. Poisons are often used medicinally in small, controlled doses. Whoever it was may not have meant to poison her. They might not have known about Hermione's habit of just tossing one back," Severus explained carefully.

Everyone in the room frowned at that information.

"So you think _Greyback_ was trying to get ahold of her?" Peter asked with wide eyes.

Severus shifted uncomfortably and cleared his throat. "I don't know. It's a possibility."

Remus snarled softly and James punched the wall.

"Do you think Hermione knows?" Sirius asked with a worried expression.

"I'm not sure," Severus told them after trying to go through his recent conversations with Hermione in his head. "If so, she hasn't spoken to me about it."

"Well hell," Remus said finally.

/\/\/\

_May 1, 1981_

23 month old Draco tugged on Hermione's robe and she glanced down at him in surprise.

"How did you sneak in here you naughty boy?" Hermione asked him with a laugh.

"Pretty," Draco said firmly as he looked up at her.

Hermione was surprised to find her eyes watering and she blinked rapidly and smiled at Draco. "Thank you, Draco. You look quite smart in your dress robes. Does your mum know where you've gotten off to?"

"I do now," Narcissa huffed as she hurried into the room. "I'm so sorry about that Hermione. I can't imagine what's gotten into him."

"You've come to welcome me into your family, haven't you?" Hermione asked softly. That Draco would think to do this for her meant more than she could say. She felt traitorous tears lurking and blinked them away.

Draco nodded and looked quite proud of himself. Narcissa looked surprised and then very proud of her son. "He is a perfect little pureblood isn't he? What did you call him, a Slytherin prince?"

"Up, mummy!" Draco commanded and held out his arms.

Narcissa lifted him and he turned to Hermione. She smiled and then moved within Draco's much smaller than she was used to arm range. Draco leaned forward and kissed her on each cheek before a brief slightly sticky kiss to her mouth. Narcissa copied his actions and smiled at Hermione.

"Welcome cousin," she said and glanced down at Draco who looked immeasurably pleased with himself.

"Thank you to you both," Hermione said with an answering smile. "Now I've got to let your grandmothers and your aunts torture me a bit more."

Torture was perhaps too strong a word for a ritual cleansing bath, but Hermione didn't ever want to think again about the fact that Walburga Black was washing her hair. She was pretty sure that little gem might take a feature in future nightmares. Cassiopeia, Melania and Irma anointed her skin with some kind oil. Hermione was almost afraid to ask what it was because she was fairly certain it was the most potent fertility blend that the Black family had been able to find and she wasn't sure she wanted to know how they had acquired it. Walburga combed out her hair so that thick curls cascaded down her back. The women stood back for a moment and looked her over carefully.

"Almost," Cassiopeia murmured to the others and they made noises of agreement. She looked at Hermione. "Close your eyes. There. All set."

When Hermione opened her eyes she gaped in shock at the woman in the mirror. Her hair hadn't been wild and bushy for a while thanks to Andromeda, but right now her hair looked amazing. Thick lustrous curls were pulled back from her face and left to fall down her back. Walburga had managed some sort of neoclassical hair style that made her look a bit like a wood nymph or a demigoddess. Little white flowers winked at her from her curls and she looked at the women who'd helped her, the women who very shortly would be her family by marriage.

"Not quite," Walburga sniffed imperiously. She bestowed a small grimace on Hermione that must have been her attempt at a smile. "Your brother brought these to us. Said it was in your grandmother's trunks. She was a MacMillan you know."

Melania beamed at her and Hermione remembered that she had been born a MacMillan. Walburga was holding a red silk cord and Hermione lifted her arms so that it could be wound thrice about her waist. The ends of the silk cord rested against her thighs. Then Melania helped her pull on the robes that had been her grandmother's; they smelt faintly of lavender and cedar. Melania shook out the skirt her fingers making careful folds with practiced expertise.

"The first part of the ceremony you'll remember because it will be you," Melania said quietly as she moved around Hermione. "The rest will be a bit fuzzy because it isn't really you."

"I understand," Hermione replied and she did. During the invocation it wouldn't really _be_ Hermione anymore—just as it wouldn't really be James or Sirius.

"We'll keep the circle for you, but no one will really be able to _see_ anything," Cassiopeia offered from a small chair. "In case you were worried."

"They won't?" Hermione was surprised. She had known that it wouldn't really be her, so she had been focused on not being embarrassed about what she hadn't done.

"Have you ever tried to look at a god?" Cassiopeia asked with her usual acerbic wit.

Hermione snorted. "I've never had occasion to do so."

"Most people haven't," Irma said with a significant glance at Cassiopeia. "The Blacks are one of the only families that follow the old traditions. Gods tend to be difficult to look at; they aren't called the Shining Ones for nothing."

"So no one will be able to tell what's happening?" Hermione asked after taking a moment to process that.

"Not exactly, no. We always send outsiders and children into the house for the reception. The only people who will stay will be Blacks and our sole purpose is to keep the circle for you and make sure that nothing interrupts the rite," Melania explained.

When everything was ready, Marlene, Dorcas and Lily came for Hermione and led her out to the prepared spot. In secluded area of Ellidgefield's property there was a circle of black stones, and in the center of the stone circle there was a large flat stone. It was piled high with flowers today. Hermione recognized may flowers, but some of the others were unknown to her. She supposed they were either magical or fae and most likely both.

The ceremony was ancient and primitive in a way that made modern ceremonies appear to mock the ancient rites. Today was about life and death and sex. Arcturus cut their palms shallowly with an obsidian blade. Their blood was mixed with wine and herbs and Hermione choked down her mouthful without grimacing. On her empty stomach the wine and herbs brought her easily into a trance state. James and Sirius seemed to be in a similar condition because they appeared to be completely relaxed. Melania led them around the altar three times and Arcturus sprinkled them with salt and holy water. Their vows were spoken simply and sincerely and the entire assembly witnessed the kiss that sealed them all to each other.

At that point outsiders were invited to the house for refreshments and the children were carefully herded away. Arcturus' and Melania's voices wound around one another as they chanted and the edges of Hermione's vision started to get fuzzy.

Between one moment and the next there was another presence within in her and it was so huge, so complex, so awful that the spark that was Hermione wanted to do nothing more than hide and hope that the Presence wouldn't utterly destroy her. The Presence ignored Hermione; it had eyes only for two other Presences. Love swelled in Hermione and it was so great that she worried that she might drown in it. It was difficult to concentrate and it was difficult to focus so eventually Hermione stopped trying. Distantly she could hear the rising and falling of voices chanting, but the Presence wasn't focused on them.

When Hermione came back to herself she was sprawled across the altar sandwiched between James and Sirius. All three of them were naked and she felt suspiciously sticky and sweaty. She itched and suspected that she did not want to know why. She was also exhausted. Being the vessel of a Goddess was not all it was cracked up to be.

"You okay love?" James' voice sounded hoarse and rough and he winced as though his throat hurt.

"I think so," Sirius replied. He sounded just as bad. He nudged Hermione gently. "Sweeting? You all right?"

"Sore," she muttered and then winced herself. Her whole body ached, but her throat felt raw.

"We are but playthings to the gods," James groused and then hissed when he shifted wrong. He glared at Sirius. "What the hell did you do to me?"

"I didn't do a damn thing," Sirius protested. He moved to get down off the altar and hissed himself. He glared back at James. "Whatever it was appears to have been mutual so don't whine at me."

"I am not looking," Remus called out loudly and distinctly, "but could you please stop talking because my imagination is going to very horrible, mentally scarring places. Are you… do you need help?"

"Um, I don't think I can walk," Hermione admitted after several tries at standing up.

"I'm going to pretend you didn't say that," Remus replied loudly.

"Are they awake?" Regulus' voice drifted toward them.

"Yes. You get to carry your new sister-in-law," Remus said with a determined air.

Regulus laughed. "That's why I came down."

Bathing was the first order of business. Eating followed by sleeping seemed like a nice way to round off the day. Hermione slipped on the loose robe that Regulus had brought for her and wound her arms around his neck when he picked her up. A clinking noise made her blink in surprise and then pull her hands back so that she could look at them. Thick gold bangles were wrapped around her wrists. She glances at James and Sirius and noted that they too had similar bracelets, but theirs were wider.

"You have one for each spouse," Regulus explained quietly as he carried her toward the house.

"Weird," Hermione muttered as she heard the bracelets clink against one another.

"Let's just get you into the house," Regulus said with a small smile.

/\/\/\

_August 1981_

"She's beautiful, Marlene," Hermione cooed at the baby in her arms. "What did you choose?"

"Carina Pyxis Black," Regulus answered for his wife.

Hermione glared at her best friend. "You do realize that you're leaving me with all the horrible constellation names. I refuse to have a child named Puppis."

"Don't be so melodramatic, sweeting," James soothed her. "There are plenty of decent constellations."

"Name one," Hermione snapped.

"Um… there's Lyra and Lacerta," James offered with a weak smile.

Hermione frowned darkly at her stomach. The scans had been a little fuzzy due to ;the deity effect as Sirius had taken to calling it. The healers were pretty sure that it was going to be a multiple birth, but beyond that they couldn't tell much. Hermione was convinced that the stupid fertility oil had made her body release multiple eggs. It was extremely rare, but possible and she knew that the Blacks would consider it an additional chance for Sirius to father a child. It would serve them right if she popped out a litter and every damn one of them was James'. Hermione paled at that thought—a litter of children. Surely not.

"Are you all right lovey?" Sirius' voice was in her ear and his warm hand was at her elbow.

"I think I need to sit down," she murmured and then wobbled slightly.

"I've got you," Sirius said soothingly and she sagged against him.

"You look much bigger than I did at four months," Lily observed with a worried little look that Hermione caught her exchanging with Remus.

"That's because you weren't carrying a damn Quidditch team," Hermione growled.

"Surely it isn't that many," Lily whispered but her eyes were frozen on Hermione's swollen belly.

"How many is the most that's ever happened at a traditional Black wedding?" Remus asked anxiously.

"Six," Cassiopeia answered as she swept into the room. She blinked at the looks of horror on several faces. "Hermione will be fine. We're taking excellent care of her. Here dear, your afternoon potion."

"Yeah, but she's not allowed to go anywhere," Remus pointed out with a frown.

"Well of course not. She has a high-risk pregnancy. The potions we've been feeding her are all stabilizing and supportive potions to shore up her immune system." Cassiopeia spoke as though they were idiots for not realizing that.

"Dorcas and Severus are getting married tomorrow," Lily exclaimed her emerald green eyes wide.

"Sev!" Harry hollered and raced into the room. He looked around and then looked up at Remus with wide eyes the same emerald green as his mother. "No Sev, Daddy?"

A goofy smile spread itself across Remus' face and he bent down to pick up Harry and cuddle him against his chest. "No, pup. Sev is getting married tomorrow."

"What?" Harry stared at his father goggle-eyed. He turned to Hermione and frowned at her. "Hermione?"

"Yes, sweetheart, I knew. He's going to become a Meadows. No more Snape," Hermione explained to her nephew. She was never sure how much he remembered.

"No Snape?" Harry repeated. He frowned at that. "No Snape?"

"Maybe Professor Meadows?" Hermione suggested with a slight smile.

Harry nodded. "Okay."

"Professor Meadows?" James snorted in amusement.

"Can you imagine Severus teaching innocent children?" Marlene asked before she giggled.

Hermione smirked. "Yes," she drawled. "Yes I can."

"The Prince line was exemplary," Cassiopeia said with a sniff. "It's a shame that Eileen threw all of that away to marry that couthless Muggle."

"Normally I would take exception to that, Aunt Cassiopeia," Hermione stated flatly, "but when it comes to _that man_ I can't help but agree with you."

"Mr. Snape was awful," Lily agreed in a near whisper her eyes troubled.

"Bad Muggle," Harry said with a fierce frown.

"Oh bless him," Cassiopeia said fondly and gave Harry a biscuit.

"Aunt Cassiopeia!" All of the Blacks by birth and by marriage shouted in unison.

"What? It's never too early to begin a young wizard's proper education," Cassiopeia announced in a lofty voice. She sniffed in a slightly wounded manner and smiled beatifically at Harry who was gnawing on his bickie.

"Merlin help us," Lily whispered to Remus who nodded and cast a wary glance at Cassiopeia's back.

It was highly unlikely that Harry was starting down the path of Muggle-hating fanatic. He most likely remembered his Uncle Vernon and assumed that Tobias Snape was like him. Both were abusive albeit in slightly different ways, both hated magic with a passion and both men were horrible parental figures—really Hermione thought that young Harry Lupin was rather spot-on—Tobias Snape had been a bad Muggle; he'd been a bad human being.

/\/\/\

Dorcas' and Severus' wedding was beautiful if slightly less naked than Hermione's, James' and Sirius' wedding. Then again, no one had to worry about being blinded by staring at the forms of deities contorting in gravity-defying sexual acts and Hermione supposed that some might consider that a bonus. Severus was so happy he that he practically radiated joy and it wasn't until she felt Remus' arm slide around her waist that she realized that she was crying.

"What's wrong?" His voice was a low, soothing rumble.

"Severus is so happy," Hermione wailed and turned so she could sob into his shoulder.

"You want me to punch him or something?" Remus asked cautiously. "I could put a lizard in the punch bowl, or you know—set Draco and Harry loose on the wedding cake."

"No." Her reply was slightly muffled by his dress robes. She pulled back and stared up at her brother. "I just never realized how unhappy… how _miserable_ and lonely he really was until just now."

"Huh."

Remus sat there for a while holding her and letting her sniffle and hiccup for as long as she needed to.

"You're really happy, too. Every time Harry calls you Daddy you just light up," Hermione observed once she was calmer.

She didn't mention that he looked much happier than she had ever seen him in her other life.

"I have you back," Remus said in a soft voice. Then he caught sight of Lily and Harry dancing and a sappy smile curved his lips. "And I have my mate."

"You planning to have more pups soon?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Lily wouldn't mind, but she wants to finish up her Charms mastery. She's almost done. I, uh, I got offered a job," Remus' soft voice was filled with pride for his wife and for himself.

"Really?" Hermione was pleased for her brother.

"Yeah, with the Ministry of Magic in France," Remus explained. "They have a Werewolf Liaison Office and they want me. It, uh, it pays really well and it offers excellent benefits."

"That's wonderful Remus," Hermione said.

She was happy for her brother, she really was. That was why she burst into another spate of tears. It was all the joy.

Later in the day she pulled aside a young Draco and looked deep into his gray eyes.

"Remus got a job working for the French Ministry of Magic. You'd better get your dad to shake things up or Harry's going to go to Beauxbatons and be surrounded by hot French boys," Hermione informed him.

Draco frowned at that. "Mine," he said with a pout.

"Yeah, but after five or so he won't remember that. And, you know, hot French boys will be hitting on him right and left," Hermione reminded Draco.

Draco pouted a bit more. He marched over to Harry, grabbed him by the shoulders and kissed him on his icing-smeared lips. "Mine," he repeated glaring at Harry.

"Yours," Harry agreed cheerfully.

"Hermione?" Lily moved toward her sister-in-law with a worried look. "Did you know about that?"

"I assumed as much," Hermione said with a shrug.

"But… he's only two years old," Lily fussed.

"He'll be fine. After five he won't remember much of anything," Hermione assured her.

"He's not… he's not like you is he?" Lily asked after watching Draco and Harry play for a little while.

"A triad? I honestly don't know. If so, it most likely wouldn't have a female. Draco would, but Harry wouldn't," Hermione murmured.

"Ah," Lily blinked and looked vaguely disturbed.

Hermione supposed that no parent wanted to imagine their child's sex life and patted her on the knee. "Don't worry about that now, Lily. As you said, he's only two. Let's go check on Dorcas. Help me up?"

/\/\/\

_October 31__st__ 1981_

"Tell me again why all of us have to stay the night at Ellidgefield?" Lily asked for the umpteenth time.

Hermione gave her a weak smile. "This is the most heavily fortified magical building I know of save for Hogwarts. The wards here make the Fidelus Charm look like a first year spell."

"But why here and why tonight?" Lily pressed. She paused and glanced toward the drawing room. "And why on earth did you invite the Longbottoms? I had no idea that you knew them?"

"No reason," Hermione said with a weak laugh.

"Frank and Alice seem nice enough," Remus said in a gentle voice. He glanced toward the drawing room. "Their Neville is enjoying playing with Harry anyway."

"They do, don't they?" Hermione agreed with a smile.

"If you ask me little Nev seems taken with my Carina," Marlene offered as she swept into the kitchen with an empty tray. "I think we'll need to keep an eye on that lad."

"Neville's a sweetheart," Hermione said firmly. "He would be a perfect gentleman to Carina."

"See now that's my point," Marlene argued with a pout. "Where's the fun in that? Carina deserves better than that."

"Marlene!" Lily gasped her cheeks pink.

"Well, Mar, if you're lucky maybe Carina will corrupt him," Hermione said drily.

Lily choked on her butterbeer. "Hermione!"

"You should be used to us by now, Lily," Marlene tsked and shook her head. "We're never going to get any better. We'll be saying shocking, indelicate things when we're 163."

"Definitely," Hermione agreed. "Rule #89."

"I don't want to know," Remus muttered.

"No you really don't." Lily said stiffly. "Let's get back out there."

Marlene grabbed another tray of food, grinned at Hermione and headed back out toward the drawing room and the laughter of their friends and family. The door opened again and Hermione didn't have to turn around to know who was behind her. Strong arms slid around her and warm fingers stroked the swell of her stomach. Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated on the feel of James pressed against her back and wrapped around her. _James was here with her. James was not going to die tonight. _A tear splashed on the skin of James' arm and he stilled automatically.

"Hermione?" Worry was thick in his voice.

In the well-lit kitchen James' concern was easily visible in the furrow of his brow and the frown lines bracketing his mobile lips. Hermione traced his face anyway committing already memorized features to her heart. She clung to him helplessly. He was surprised and confused by the strength of her concern, but he humored her mood. Hermione had never been more grateful for the excuse of pregnancy hormones.

"James… I love you." Her voice sounded odd even to her.

He smiled warmly at her, his hazel eyes crinkling at the edges. "Good thing that. You're sort of stuck with me."

Without a care for anything else she flung herself on him and kissed him desperately. James seemed surprised, but he was willing to kiss her back eagerly. The rough velvet of his tongue lapping at her collarbone made her moan softly and then James was nibbling at the tender skin there. She clung to the well-developed muscles of his shoulders and let him suck on her earlobe. After a brief struggle and muffled curses from the both of them they managed to get her robes undone and then James was paying enthusiastic homage to her breasts. Her fingers wound themselves tightly in the silken strands of his wild hair and she focused on the here and now and the feel of his lips on her skin. _James was here with her_. _James wasn't going to die tonight_.

A small sob escaped her as James sat in one of the sturdy kitchen chairs with his pants undone and pulled to his knees. He coaxed her into his lap and helped her to straddle him. She clung to him tightly as she carefully rocked against him, but she couldn't help the tears that streamed down her cheeks. James stroked her back gently and kissed her cheeks, and she laughed weakly and clung to him even more tightly.

"Hermione," he panted against her breast as he stiffened underneath her before thrusting as carefully as he could his large hands cupping her bum.

"James," she gasped at the ceiling with her head flung back and her back arched.

He continued to stroke her back and held her gently on his lap, making sure that she wouldn't fall. Sirius poked his head into the kitchen and both eyebrows rose up his forehead.

"Is there a reason you two are cuddling naked in the kitchen without me?" He asked with a pout.

"It's October 31st," Hermione replied and clutched James to her chest tightly.

Sirius eyed her carefully. "Right. Do you need me to cuddle naked with you as well?"

Hermione looked up at him with wide cinnamon eyes and nodded. "I think so."

"We should probably take this to our bedroom then," Sirius suggested. "I don't want to scar the house elves. Or the Longbottoms."

/\/\/\

_January 1982_

"I hate men," Hermione growled furiously.

"Of course you do, sweetheart. Now push like a good girl," Cassiopeia encouraged her.

"I am NOT a good girl!" Hermione bellowed.

"Not with a tattoo like that you're not," Walburga agreed. "Now push like Cassiopeia told you to."

"No!" Hermione yelled at her mother-in-law. She sniffled. "I want James and Sirius!"

"I know you do," Cassiopeia soothed. "And Orion and Regulus are looking for them. They're out on Auror rounds. Merlin only knows what that means."

"You have to push now or it could hurt the babies," Walburga informed Hermione with a fierce glare.

"I am never forgiving them for this," Hermione panted between pushing sometime later. "NEVER!"

"That's the spirit!" Walburga looked positively cheerful. "Just one more push."

"You said that before," Hermione growled with a look of suspicion in her eyes.

"I thought you would push harder," Walburga sniffed.

"I don't like you," Hermione said clearly and distinctly and then groaned in agony as the need to push descended upon her.

"Look, it's a boy!" Cassiopeia crowed in delight.

Walburga waved her wand quickly and gave the small grimace that passed for her smile. "He's a Black."

"Perseus Leo," Hermione mumbled.

"Perseus Leo Black," Cassiopeia repeated and then smirked at Walburga who was frowning.

After more pushing, Perseus Leo Black was joined by his sister Adara Capella Black. Hermione sweated, swore, grunted and screamed for a couple more hours and then they had William James Potter and his sister Elizabeth Victoria. By the time she was done she was absolutely exhausted, but Cassiopeia and Walburga were ecstatically happy. Melania who had been lurking in the background moved forward to clean Hermione with a few flicks of her wand.

"I trained to be a healer you know," Melania informed her great-granddaughter-in-law as she efficiently healed a nasty tear in Hermione's vaginal wall.

"I didn't," Hermione mumbled as she struggled to stay awake. She blinked sleepily. "How am I going to feed four babies?"

"In shifts, dear. We'll help you. Now let's get those babies cleaned and fed so you can rest," Melania said with a sharp glance at Cassiopeia and Walburga.

Small baby-blue eyes blinked blearily at her and a small mouth scowled. The baby waved an angry fist and Hermione realized that Cassiopeia had carefully labeled each baby with tiny bracelets that looked similar to her own. She was currently holding William James, heir to the House of Potter. Melania helped her to nurse with clinical professionalism that helped Hermione relax and let the baby do what he needed to do. Once William was latched on and grunting happily Elizabeth Victoria was tucked against her other breast.

"This gives Walburga a chance to hold her grandson and gloat," Melania explained with a slight smile. She paused and brushed Hermione's hair back from her face. "You did very well dear."

"Thank you," Hermione replied and her voice was raspy and raw.

"They'll be here soon," Melania said with a fond smile for her grandchildren. "They'll be so angry at having missed it. Arcturus missed Lucretia's birth and he was absolutely furious."

_A/N: Okay, let me explain a few things. Firstly—to those who will ask why the Black children have 'weird' names and the Potter children have 'normal' names—I usually try to follow JKR's naming patterns. The Black family uses constellation names with few exceptions. Adara is a star in the constellation Sirius, so that seemed appropriate for his daughter. I realized that the Potter family (aside from being woefully unfilled in by JKR) seemed to use the names of British monarchs. (Charlus is close enough to Charles to make no real difference.) Since Harry couldn't be used I went with William. Secondly—to those who wanted children with mixed DNA from Sirius and James—I admit that JKR uses magic to do a great many things, but I hesitated to go there. I know that some authors have played with that idea so I'll let them have that. Thirdly—to those of you who are incensed that I would allow Sirius and James to miss their children's birth—I was going for realism. James and Sirius are basically wizard police officers who go on patrol. My dad wasn't a policeman—he was in the Coast Guard—but he missed my sister's birth because his CO had them doing maneuvers out in the Pacific Ocean. He was absolutely livid. Anyway, my point was that the people who have jobs like that (firemen, police officers, armed services, EMT techs, doctors, etc.) sometimes miss out on important family stuff because they're doing their jobs. Hermione really isn't mad at them. She was in labor. People who are giving birth aren't completely rational once they move into hard labor e.g. pushing. Fourthly—why is this labeled as 'M' if the explicit sex scenes are on LJ? I figured it was safer since we're dealing with foul language, drinking, suggestive language, polyamory/polyfidelity, and non-explicit sex scenes. _

_I think that covers everything. _


	18. Towards his Design Moves like a Ghost

_A/N: After popular request, here you are:_

_**Pairings (or… you know) and Spawn:**_

_James/Hermione/Sirius- _

_1) Perseus Leo Black (S/H, Heir to House of Black)_

_2) Adara Capella Black (S/H)_

_3) William James Potter (J/H, Heir to House of Potter)_

_4) Elizabeth Victoria Potter (J/H)_

_Marlene/Regulus_

_1) Carina Pyxis Black (M/R)_

_Dorcas/Severus_

_(No spawn that we as readers know about)_

_I hate to do this from a writer's perspective, but I would never forgive myself for not putting this in here. _

_**WARNING**__- This chapter may contain negative triggers. I never do anything graphic or explicit when it comes to violence, but I understand that it doesn't necessarily __**need**__ to be graphic to provide a negative trigger. Please don't read this chapter if this might affect you. _

/\/\/\

_August 1984 Diagon Alley_

"You didn't have to do this, Hermione." Andromeda spoke softly before taking a sip from her tea.

"I suppose I didn't," Hermione agreed.

Andromeda glanced over to where Nymphadora was playing with Hermione's four toddlers, James, and Sirius. She cleared her throat and then glanced back to Hermione. "They didn't… they didn't say anything did they?"

"We didn't exactly announce it or anything," Hermione said with a snort. "Regulus knows. He sent me with this for you."

A small box slid across the table and Andromeda opened it with fingers that shook only a little. She laughed a slightly sad sound and pulled out a beautifully wrought gold brooch. There was a letter as well and Andromeda read it silently. Hermione focused on her children for a moment to give Andromeda space and privacy to read. Being disowned was incredibly painful for anyone, but Hermione suspected that to purebloods for whom family was the whole focus of their existence it might be even more traumatic. She had always admired Andromeda for her bravery, but Hermione had never really considered how hard it would be to be completely cut off from the entire Black family despite the fact that they were all certifiably mad. Andromeda made a slightly choked noise and Hermione turned a bit more to give her space.

Her four children were two-and-a-half and she wasn't quite sure if she was going to survive. It helped that she had James and Sirius and both the Potters and the Blacks were eager to take active parts in the children's lives. Adara and Elizabeth were both ensconced on a lap—James was cuddling Adara and Elizabeth had her little arms wrapped around Sirius' neck. Perseus and William were listening with rapt attention as Nymphadora explained some sort of daring maneuver she'd performed with her broom. All four of her children had little training brooms—James and Sirius had insisted—but they weren't quite ready for regular brooms. All right, perhaps _she _wasn't ready for them to have regular brooms.

"And I'm going to try out for my House's Quidditch team," Nymphadora concluded with a firm nod.

"Not your first year dear," Andromeda said absently as she scanned her letter a second time. "They don't allow first years to try out."

"What House do you want to be in, Dora?" Sirius asked with a grin. "Want to be a Gryffindor like your fabulous cousin Sirius?"

"Dora will be successful no matter the House she chooses," Hermione said firmly.

A small niggling suspicion had intruded on Hermione's thoughts the closer that Nymphadora had come to Hogwarts. She suspected that Andromeda had probably warned her daughter away from Slytherin because of the prejudices of people like the family that had disowned her. She knew that Sirius and Andromeda had been close as the two outcasts of their family. How betrayed had Andromeda felt when Sirius had been falsely accused of murdering James and Lily? How angry, humiliated and hurt had she been when he was dragged off to Azkaban? Had Andromeda also warned her daughter away from Gryffindor in hopes to avoid some sort association with Sirius? That would only leave Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff and Dora was no scholar. Then again, Dora was loyal and hard-working so perhaps Hufflepuff would choose her no matter the circumstances.

"I think that's cousin Hermione's way of telling Sirius to shut up," James whispered to Dora.

The eleven year-old grinned up at James and giggled. She glanced over to Hermione. "Any House I want?" She asked curiously.

"Of course, poppet. Each House has attributes to be proud of—don't make that face James! It's true! Why, I should think your mum will be quite pleased if you were Sorted into… say… Hufflepuff," Hermione explained gently.

"Hufflepuff!" Sirius and James made faces and Dora looked uncertainly at her mother.

"James! Sirius! Knock it off! Just because you wouldn't know hard work unless it bit you on the… uh… nose doesn't signify. Hufflepuffs are very loyal and your cousins Sirius and James are quite loyal," Hermione continued after a fulminating glare was sent James and Sirius' way. "Of course, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Slytherin are all excellent houses."

"There's no way to tell until the Sorting," Andromeda said a calmness and grace that Hermione envied. She pulled out Dora's Hogwarts letter and looked it over for a moment. "It looks as though we need to pick up your cauldron, your scales and your potions' supplies."

"Can we get ice cream, Mum?" Dora widened her eyes to try and look as sweet and innocent as possible. Sirius and James snickered behind their hands.

"Ice Cream?" William perked up at that and all four children turned to Hermione.

"When we're all done," Hermione said firmly. "We're supposed to meet Harry and Aunt Lily and Uncle Remus this afternoon."

"It took them long enough to push through those Werewolf Accords," James muttered sulkily.

"I'm just glad they got it taken care of finally," Sirius said with a wry grin. "Our Harry sounds more French than anything else anymore."

"He can't help it," Hermione countered defending her nephew. "He's been living in France for almost five years, his nanny is French and he goes to a French nursery school. What did you think was going to happen?"

"I didn't expect to be Oncle Jacques," James muttered in an aside to Sirius who snickered.

"Come along, we haven't got all day," Hermione said firmly.

They made their way from store to store shopping their way through Dora's Hogwarts shopping list. Hermione was so focused on Dora that she didn't notice a large family of red-heads doing their own shopping for young Charlie Weasley's first year and his older brother Bill's third year. Harry Lupin had arrived in Diagon Alley with his mum and dad and immediately began to look for _his_ Hermione. He spotted them finally and bounced up in down in excitement.

"Père, Maman, regardez! Ce sont Persée et Guillaume. Persée!" Harry bellowed across the street.

"Oi, did you say Percy?" Bill asked the little boy standing next to them.

"He's saying Perseus," Lily explained gently.

"We've been living in France for the last five years, I worked for the Ministry in Paris," Remus explained with a slight smile.

"Maman!" Harry was pulling at his mother's hand and trying to move his parents with the force of his will alone.

"Harry!" A voice cried and a pretty woman with thick, chestnut curls hurried across the street to scoop up the boy and hug him tightly.

"Merlin's staff, Hermione! Could you please not do that?" James groused as he and Sirius followed her over pushing their ridiculously huge pram that fit all four of their children.

"Nearly gave me a heart attack." Sirius was scowling at his wife.

"But it's Harry," Hermione pointed to the boy she was holding in her arms.

"Tante!" Harry was embarrassed at being made to look like a baby in front of the bigger boys and Nymphadora. He wiggled to get down. He eyes Dora carefully and then grinned. "Tonks!"

Dora beamed at him. "That's me! Did your aunt tell you about me?"

"Changez vos cheveux!" Harry demanded.

Hermione blushed with mortification. "Harry! We don't ask Dora like that!"

"Voulez-vous s'il vous plaît changer vos cheveux?" Harry gave his very best puppy eyes, which were rather formidable.

Dora giggled and turned her hair bubblegum pink. The Weasley children were suitably impressed.

"That's amazing!" Charlie Weasley exclaimed and then flushed when the entire group of people turned to look at him. The lady with the thick curls smiled fondly at him.

"Our Dora is rather special," she agreed. "It's her first year at Hogwarts this year."

"Mine too!" Charlie grinned at Dora who smiled back shyly.

"Right! Who's up for ice cream?" Sirius shouted.

"I am!" A chorus of children shouted back.

Molly Weasley flushed in embarrassment and Hermione moved to stand near her. "I'm terribly sorry about my husband. He tends to speak without thinking. Since he inadvertently invited your children to ice cream we will, of course, pay if you'd care to join us? Dora's a little nervous about her first year. It might be nice for her to talk to children her own age. Mine are all a little way off from their first year."

Molly blinked at the pram with four children who were all bouncing impatiently in their desire to go to Florean Fortescue's. "That might be nice."

"Excellent!" Hermione beamed at her. "Shall we then?"

/\/\/\

_September 1984_

It had been sadly touching when Druella had subtly tried to ask after Nymphadora's Sorting. Hermione made it a point to accidentally leave out a letter from Andromeda that had focused entirely on Nymphadora's first few days at Hogwarts. For several days after that Druella seemed quiet and pensive. The older woman was generally quiet—it was difficult to compete with all the personalities within the Black family and Druella tended to fade into the background when surrounded by all of the more forceful natures of her in-laws—but she seemed even more withdrawn than normal.

"I don't believe it," Andromeda said for possibly the fifth time since Hermione had joined her for tea.

"Voldemort's downfall? Or Bellatrix's arrest?" Hermione asked as she looked up from the newspaper she was reading. "Thank Merlin the Aurors were there when she tried to gain entry to the Longbottom Estate. I shudder to think what might have happened to Alice and Frank."

"Well, I can't believe that Voldemort's finally dead," Andromeda acknowledged. "Bellatrix in Azkaban is rather easy to imagine actually. No, I mean… my mother mailed a letter to Dora telling her how proud she was of her. She sent her a Rosier family necklace."

"Your mother was a Hufflepuff, wasn't she?" Hermione guessed.

Andromeda nodded. "All three of us girls were in Slytherin, of course, but Mum had hoped that just one of us would be in Hufflepuff."

"Well, your mother has to abide by whatever Pollux decrees, but that doesn't mean she agrees with him," Hermione pointed out.

"I suppose not," Andromeda agreed, but her face registered a hesitancy borne of over a decade of no contact.

"The whole situation is sad when you think about it," Hermione said softly. "There are so many Muggles who are terrified of magic, who think of it as evil, that they abuse the wizards and witches in their care. Then there are the wizards and witches who are terrified of what Muggles might do to them or their children so they foster a separatist mentality. It's an endless cycle of fear and prejudice and the people that suffer are people like you and Dora… and people like poor Severus." _And my Harry_.

"Ted's family doesn't know how to deal with him, with his magic," Andromeda confessed. "They tried to accept it and him… but now they barely send us Christmas cards."

"I don't suppose Ted is really the secret love child of some purebloods?" Hermione asked hopefully.

"Oh, Hermione," Andromeda started giggling and pretty soon she and Hermione were leaning against one another wheezing with laughter.

"Maybe not," Hermione said with mock sadness. She glanced at the clock on the wall and gasped. "Merlin! I had no idea it was that late! I have to stop by Diagon Alley before I go home. If I'm late for supper your grandmother will make snide comments for the rest of the year."

"Thanks for coming over Hermione," Andromeda said with a smile. They air kissed one another's cheeks and Hermione grabbed her bag.

"Bye! Send Dora my love!" Hermione called out as she went through the Floo.

Once Hogwarts was back in session Diagon became slightly quieter. It was still busy and there was always a press of people, but it wasn't quite as bad as July and August before school. Hermione received several strange looks and she glanced down at herself in confusion. She was wearing jeans and a snug t-shirt that said "Goblins do it for the money" because Andromeda lived in a Muggle neighborhood and she figured this outfit would blend in better. Hermione shrugged and hurried into Flourish and Blott's to pick up her special order.

The brown paper package was tucked securely away in her bag as Hermione stepped into Quality Quidditch Supplies. James and Sirius had special ordered Harry's first 'big boy' broom for his Christmas present and Hermione had promised to check and see if it had arrived yet. The shop owner had shaken his head no and swore to contact them as soon as it came in.

Errands completed Hermione felt pleasantly accomplished. She headed toward the public Floo in the Leaky Cauldron with a bounce in her step totally unprepared for the explosion of pain in her right temple. She crumpled silently to the ground and was dragged quickly toward an alley.

/\/\/\

Sirius was walking with his brother toward the dining room at Ellidgefield when he staggered slightly and put his hand to his temple. He pulled his hand away expecting to see blood and was surprised to see that his hand looked fine.

"What the?" He swore under his breath and turned to Regulus who was watching him warily. "It's got to be Hermione or James!"

Both men raced to the dining room and the call was quickly sent out. This was one of the few times that Sirius appreciated how much control and power the Black Family exerted over its members. Within an hour everyone who had a drop of Black blood was at Ellidgefield. Andromeda sent an Owl because Ellidgefield would not grant her access; any help they needed she would give. The assembled group turned to Arcturus as their patriarch and his wife Melania stood at his side presenting a united family front. James arrived with his mother and the bottom of Sirius' stomach dropped out.

_Hermione_.

"Where is she?" James' eyes were wide and panicked.

"I don't know." It killed him to say the words aloud, but it was the truth. He didn't know. She could be anywhere… with anyone.

Everyone mobilized quickly and soon there were several different teams with different objectives. Severus and Dorcas showed up with Peter and Remus and Lily hurried in with a nearly hysterical Harry. Narcissa was already there and Draco had been inconsolably crying. Hermione's own children were confused and upset, but they didn't really understand what was happening.

"Draco!" Harry wailed and flung himself in Draco's arms.

"'Sokay," Draco said with all the authority his four year old self could muster. "Black an' Potter bring her home."

"Well I'm glad he's confident in our ability," Sirius muttered to James.

_Agonizing pain_. James wasn't sure if he screamed or not, but he heard a faint echo of someone screaming then… _nothing_. One might suppose that the absence of pain would be a relief, but for James it was even more traumatizing than the pain. He could feel his link to Sirius, but when he tried to follow the link to Hermione there was _nothing_. His magic kept searching for the missing piece that was supposed to be there. It was reaching with fragile tendrils of power looking for her and coming up empty. He felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest. He was breathing shallowly because he couldn't get enough air into his lungs.

"James?" He heard a worried voice and he knew it was his mother. "James darling, what's happening?"

"Gone!" Harry was screaming at the top of lungs. "Gone gone gone!"

"Harry!" Cassiopeia's voice was like a whip crack and Harry subsided to whimpers. "Now. The link to Hermione is gone… obviously. What could cause that? It isn't death or James and Sirius would be convulsing right now."

"A type of magical containment field?" Severus suggested with the frown that meant he was thinking aloud. "Dorcas love, is there a way to do that?"

"Yes," Dorcas said slowly drawing the word out to several syllables. "The only problem is that it would be an enchantment and that's heavily monitored by the Enchanter's Guild."

"That's not a problem, that's a bonus in our favor," Lily said eagerly. "We just need to contact the Enchanter's Guild and ask for their help. Hermione is an Enchantress and a Guild member. They'll help her."

/\/\/\

/\/\/\

The nothingness ate at Hermione unlike anything she had ever experienced. For so long James and Sirius had just _been there_ loving her. Their love was a constant—something she never doubted because it was so obvious. Now… now it felt as though half of her were missing. No, not half… two-thirds. She was incomplete without them; her magic was in shock, it kept trying to make it past the rift so that it could connect with James and Sirius. It was difficult for her to breathe so she panted in shallow breaths. The pain… that was almost a welcome distraction from the _nothing_ that only reminded her of James and Sirius.

Quickly, Hermione tried to take stock of her situation. Her hip ached and Hermione thought that perhaps she had been tossed into this room and landed on it. The pain was dull and throbbing. Her head on the other hand felt like someone had taken a sledgehammer to it. Her fingers crept cautiously up the side of her face and she felt tentatively. When her fingers found the site of impact she hissed in pain. She was able to determine that the wound probably looked worse than it truly was and decided to ignore it for now.

There were very few things that Hermione would ever be grateful to Bellatrix LeStrange for, but the ability to compartmentalize her pain and work through it was one of them. Okay, maybe that was the only thing. Still, right now she was grateful that she had the ability.

The major difficulty to determining much of anything appeared to be her magic; it was almost as though her magic had been cauterized, and her magic kept looking for its phantom limbs. A hysterical giggle bubbled up through her lips at the expression on James' and Sirius' faces when they heard themselves describes as phantom limbs. Perhaps she wouldn't share that part with them. She stopped suddenly in the middle of the room and blinked. She was thinking as though she would make it out of here alive—as though she had every chance of seeing them again—and maybe that was a good thing.

Time was incredibly difficult to judge within the room. How much time had passed? Had it been only minutes? Or had it been hours? _Days_? How long had she been unconscious? She'd been hit pretty hard, or at least her temple seemed fairly well convinced of that.

Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room, Hermione allowed herself to enter into a trance state. Working through the shock and pain of her missing pieces, Hermione managed to take several deep breaths and hold them allowing herself to slip further into a trance. At that level, she was able to observe the magic in the room. Her own magic was almost worthless, but she hadn't done this to try and fix her magic. No, she wanted to see what else was in the room with her. What she saw shocked her: she was sitting inside a box of magic. Such a thing had been theorized about, but she'd never seen a practical application. In fact, Hermione couldn't even think of anyone who could produce anything close to this level of magic. She frowned thoughtfully and tried to examine her room a little more closely. _Hmm. _

On the surface, the room _seemed_ to be a flawless execution of impossibly complex magic. Upon closer examination Hermione was able to spot the small sections of magical… well; the closest approximation that Hermione could come up with was Muggle welding. Pieces of magic had been fitted together and there had been an attempt to obscure the points where that fitting together had occurred.

Now, it was true that Hermione's magic was basically crippled, but she could still use it as a blunt instrument. Carefully, with as much finesse as she was able to use she attacked the points of magical welding. Moving with systematic thoroughness she hit each point that she had discovered in sequence. Then she went through and did it again, and again. Exhaustion finally staked its claim and Hermione slumped on the floor letting her eyelids close. _James… Sirius… I love you_. Tears slipped down her cheeks until she fell asleep.

"Wake up sweetheart," a deep voice cooed at her. The hard kick to her ribs belied the tone of his voice.

Hermione gasped and curled in automatically to protect herself. She blinked and squinted at the harsh light. When she saw her gaoler she couldn't help the whimper of fear that escaped her. _Fenrir Greyback_.

"Why?" She couldn't help asking the question and automatically cringed waiting for the fall out. With Greyback she was fairly certain that there was no logical reason. The madness in his eyes seemed to reinforce that.

"_Why_? Because you are mine, sweetheart," Greyback growled at her. "You've been mine since you were born. Your idiot father tried to protect you from me. Betrothed you to that stupid little wizard."

"Betrothed me to whom?" Hermione was confused. As far as she knew, Remus had researched every possible thing he could in his search for her. Any clue no matter how ridiculous or far-fetched had been assiduously checked and then rechecked. In all of his research there was _nothing_ about Hermione being betrothed to anyone.

"Hermione, my Hermione," Greyback breathed and then smiled fondly as she trembled in fear on the floor at his feet. "You shouldn't have tried to run from me, sweetheart. I would have forgiven you. It wasn't your fault."

"W-who was I betrothed to?" Hermione whispered praying that he would answer her this time.

"Augustus Lupin," Greyback snarled making the name sound like a vile epithet.

There had been a small entry in Remus' journal that briefly mentioned his Uncle Augustus and his Uncle's wife Hermione dying under mysterious circumstances just before Hermione's own birth. She had been named in honour of her dead aunt. Suddenly everything made a strange sick sort of sense.

"The Lupins," Greyback growled in rage. "I made them suffer on your behalf my love."

_Morgana help me, I'm stuck in a magical box with a deranged werewolf who thinks I'm his dead girlfriend_.

"Hermione and Augustus died," Hermione said slowly and carefully while preparing to be kicked again.

"I know you did, my love, but you came back to me," Greyback cooed at her and grinned flashing all of his teeth.

Another whimper escaped her and his smile widened. He _liked_ frightening her.

"Your fear it smells... do you know what you do to me sweetheart?"

Horror swept through Hermione icing her insides. Greyback grabbed her by her hair hauling to her feet. He licked her neck the wet roughness of his tongue dragging over his skin so slowly that Hermione closed her eyes and prayed for it to end. He buried his face in her neck and inhaled deeply. Revulsion made her skin crawl and tears slipped down her cheeks. Greyback's low throaty laugh made her stomach clench.

"You're mine now," he murmured against her skin, sniffing and licking at her.

Hermione trembled with rage and fear and disgust. Without her magic she was at Greyback's mercy. If there had been _anything_ in the room with her, Hermione would have attempted to use it to free herself. It was sick and twisted and _so fucked up_, but Hermione preferred being Crucio'd by Bellatrix LeStrange to this… whatever it was Greyback was about to do to her. Greyback sniffed at her skin some more and then he went completely still. He pulled back and glared at her. Then he buried his face in her neck again.

"How could you?" He bellowed at her shaking her furiously his fingers biting into her arms. "How could you?"

When Hermione hit the wall and she was actually pleased to be knocked unconscious. It meant that she wouldn't have to be present if Greyback… if he… well, she wouldn't be there for it.

Time passes slowly, but Hermione thinks that five days have passed. She isn't sure, but food is tossed in to her once a day. Greyback hasn't come back, and she isn't sure if she should be happy about that or terrified. He hadn't raped her and she's pathetically grateful for that. Hermione nibbles at her roll and tries to calculate time in her head. It's been a week maybe. Perhaps ten days. The roll drops to the floor and all the blood drains from her face. If it has been ten days then the full moon is in a week and Hermione is suddenly horribly certain that is the reason that Greyback hasn't visited her. He was waiting.

/\/\/\

"I fucking hate this," Sirius growled as he paced back and forth.

"I believe that I may have heard you mention that once or twice," Severus drawled coolly as he rolled his eyes.

"What are you _doing_?" Sirius demanded, slamming his hands on the table.

"There's this new fad all the cool kids are into," Severus snapped glaring at Sirius. "It's called _logic_ and I'm trying to apply it to finding your wife. Is that okay with you?"

"Fuck you Snivellus!" James snarled coming up out his chair to stand shoulder to shoulder with Sirius.

"James Charlus Potter!" Dorea's voice cut through the tension and James winced at her cold tone. "Severus is trying to save Hermione. Let him do what he can. You young man can come with me. Your children need you. You too, Sirius."

Dorea whirled around and stalked out of the room not even turning once to see if her son and son-in-law were following her. The walk to the nursery seemed interminably long to Sirius. He had barely been able to look their children in the face since Hermione had been taken. Their little tear-streaked faces and the repeating entreaty: when is mummy coming home? Harry and Draco were anxious and kept hounding everyone. Harry kept muttering about time and time running out, but no one could figure out what he meant.

"Daddy!" Will cried out and ran on chubby little legs to Sirius.

"Papa, too!" Perseus crowed happily and ran to James.

One of the things that all three of them had been really, really proud of had been that all four of their children perceived the three of them as their parents. Will and Lizzie considered Sirius to be their father just as much as James who was their biological father. Pers and Dare were exactly the same; they didn't see anything weird about calling James 'Papa' even though Sirius was their biological father. He knew that some triads had tried to implement rigid divides between whose children were whose, but that seemed stupid to Sirius. They were all one family, weren't they? They had to distinguish parentage for reasons of inheritance, but aside from that Sirius could really care less. Technically, William or Elizabeth _could_ inherit, but the thought of any of his children not being around made him ill and he shoved that thought away.

"Daddy," Dare was tugging on his robes and he pulled her into his arms.

Adara was a miniature, feminized version of him. Her black hair was already curling into ringlets that made his mother coo with pleasure and her eyes matched his with their stormy grey depths. Dare's face was delicate with her tiny nose and Cupid's bow mouth. Her stubborn little chin hinted at her will of steel. Perseus looked so much like him it was disconcerting. James liked to tease him about it. Sirius would snort and jerk a thumb toward William who looked almost exactly like James except for his cinnamon brown eyes. Elizabeth looked a lot like William and James, but there were subtle differences. As a toddler, her hair was short enough that it was identical to James' and William's. Her face appeared to be a blend of Hermione's and James' features, but it was a symmetrically pleasing combination that gave her the best features of each parent.

"What's the matter, Dare?" Sirius asked his daughter gently.

Adara patted his cheeks with her little baby hands. "Daddy sad."

"Yeah, princess, Daddy's sad," Sirius agreed.

"Da—addy," Adara drew out his name and rolled her eyes in exasperation. She looked so much like Hermione in that moment that his heart lurched. "Lizzie is princess."

"Oh, sorry," Sirius said with a weak smile. She was right. Princess Elizabeth had started out as a joke, but Lizzie loved it and it had stuck.

The children were smart, they knew something was wrong, they knew their mummy was missing, but no one could offer anything definite. They didn't understand why Mummy didn't just come home. The other night William had screamed that very thing at Sirius and it had scared William and the other kids when Sirius had broken down and started sobbing.

"Moon!" Perseus crowed and tugged James toward the window. "See moon, Papa!"

The waxing moon was clearly visible in the window. James picked up Perseus and moved to the window. "You like the moon, little man? It's okay for you, but Uncle Remus isn't all that fond of it. In no time at all, Harry and Aunt Lily will come stay with us and Daddy and Papa will go see Uncle Remus." James realized what he'd just said and froze in horror. _Time. Running out of time_. James and Sirius stared at one another.

"The full moon," Sirius whispered.

James shook his head. "No."

"It makes sense," Sirius pointed out.

It did. That was what James hated.

/\/\/\

A subtle change in the air made Hermione anxious and jumpy. It took her much longer than she wanted to admit to realize that the change was due to the full moon. _The full moon_. She had kept up her subtle pressure on the spots where her box had been magically welded together. It may have been delusional, but she thought that maybe she'd stressed the welds. Regardless, the idea gave her hope. Her magic was still crippled and the amount that she was able to use and focus was pathetic, but she still hoped that just a bit more pressure and the welds would snap.

The room appeared to have no windows or door. She wasn't sure if that was because of the magic that sealed her within it, or if it really didn't have any windows. There must be some sort of door or Greyback wouldn't be able to enter. It must be soundproofed because she could never hear anything.

Fear skittered along her nerves. She knew that he would be coming for her soon. What he would do with her… she didn't know. She suspected he might attempt to turn her or flat out kill her. Either option terrified her. She wasn't _afraid_ of being a werewolf. She was afraid of being a werewolf trapped in a room with Greyback. He would be her Alpha… she would be _compelled_ to do as he bid her and that terrified her beyond anything else; the idea that she would willingly do whatever Greyback asked her to do.

Despite the risks Hermione sat in the middle of the room and allowed herself to sink into her trance state. Brief, fairly weak, burst of pressure in a specific pattern at each weld spot. She felt one buckle slightly and joy leapt in her breast. She focused her attention on that spot. There was no delicacy, no finesse to this work. It was blunt force, but it seemed to be doing the job. The weld gave and Hermione hugged herself to keep from shrieking with joy. _Please_. _Please see me_.

Greyback threw himself into her room, snarling and growling at her. Hermione screamed in fear and scrambled to get out of his reach. He had already shifted and he was salivating as he watched her tremble in the corner. He tilted his head back and sniffed at the air. His howl seemed inordinately loud in the confines of the room and the sound unnerved Hermione. He moved toward her and she screamed again. It was stupid and foolish; she knew her fear excited him, but she couldn't control the terror that overtook her as he moved toward her.

In the end it was impossible for her to elude him. He seemed to enjoy toying with her so he moved slowly. It was completely by accident that she found the door; when she tried to escape his claws she fell through the door. She hadn't been able to see from inside the room, but outside the room she could see it clearly. She slammed the door shut and automatically slid the bolt home. She realized that a mere door wouldn't hold Greyback for long and she started running.

The house was nothing she recognized, but thankfully it wasn't some huge pureblood estate. It was a small detached house and Hermione was running out the front door by the time Greyback broke down the door to her prison. That was probably her fault because she'd stressed the welds. Either that or he had some kind of failsafe key to get out. She didn't really care at the moment. All she cared about was putting as much distance between herself and Greyback as possible.

When she caught her shirt she screamed and kept running. It was shredded off of her body and she didn't even care. She didn't think that his claws had pierced her skin, but she had no time to stop and check. A snarl of ferocious rage had her screaming in fear again and that fear gave her energy she didn't realize she had. Her feet barely touched the ground as she ran. A huge stag charged into her field of vision and she had too much momentum to avoid running straight into him. Hitting a stag at full speed was similar to running into a brick wall, or at least she assumed so as she had no frame of reference. It hurt a lot, anyway. She was lying on the ground staring up at an impressive set of antlers that looked vaguely familiar. She blinked and the stag came into focus.

"James?" Her voice was raspy with screaming. He nosed her gently and she struggled to her feet.

Snarling and growling drew her attention to Greyback who was fighting a ferocious battle with another werewolf. Hermione's fingers tightened on James. She clung to the stag and watched her brother fight Greyback with her heart in her throat. A huge black dog moved out of the shadows and rubbed his head against her hip and licked her hand. Hermione fell to her knees and buried her face in Sirius' fur. She wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed. James nudged her insistently and she turned to look up at him. He looked frustrated. He pawed the ground and nudged her again. She frowned. _What the hell did he want from her_? He shook his horns and just shot her a glare. _Oh_.

She had been so relieved to see James and Sirius that she hadn't thought about what that meant. Her magic was firmly enmeshed with James' and Sirius' magic again, and James wanted her to shift to her animagus form. When Hermione's magic had been cut off from theirs transformation had been impossible because she had been magically hamstrung… so to speak. She was just through shifting into her form as a lithe black wolf when she heard a sickening crack. She turned sharply to see her brother standing over Greyback's dead body his chest heaving.

In a flash Hermione had knocked Remus to the ground and was licking his face eagerly. Her brother and her husbands had saved her. It was over. The werewolf beneath her made an annoyed sort of growl and Hermione realized that he was sprawled over Greyback. That couldn't be comfortable. She whined in apology and got off of her brother moving toward Sirius and James who tried to hold her between them and nuzzle her to death. Eventually the four of them found a clean patch of forest that didn't smell of blood, fear or death and curled around one another in a protective huddle. Sirius and James kept sniffing and nosing at her gently and Sirius licked her muzzle affectionately.


End file.
